Feedback
This is not Island Living
Thanks for ruining my evening with your appalling choice of so-called “Island Living” news and photos. Some of us do not see dead, dismembered carcasses of “freshly felled” cattle as inspirational, newsworthy items. Especially good effects were the chainsaw, the knife sharpening, and the headless, legless cow on its back with its skin ripped back to expose his, as you said, “steaming” insides.
Maybe you thought you were doing a story for “Horror” magazine, and you got confused. This is NOT Whidbey Island Living. I do know this island and what the people here consider news and photography. This is not it. Are you trying to make people upset or angry? Your article looks more like a paid advertisement for this slaughter business. It is in disgusting poor taste, ever, anytime, anywhere.
No. I am not a vegetarian and, yes, I do eat meat. I do not choose to visit the slaughterhouse, though. I also do not choose to view horror or violent movies. I feel offended that I had to be exposed to your full page of both. I was raised on a large cattle and potato farm here on the island. My dad, Gerald Darst, had will over a hundred head of beef. Never once did he have one of our cattle butchered on our farm, or anywhere. He instead took them to the Marysville auction. We bought our own meat at the store.
I am glad that as a child I never had to witness the barbaric and painful scenes that you have decided we all should “enjoy” tonight. Instead we saw beautiful cattle and many calves born each spring, grazing in a large green field with the backdrop of the Olympic mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Now that is true Island Living.
I don’t know Ken George, the great photographer who is now on staff. I have been admiring his photos. Now these. As my 11-year-old daughter said, “They are really good pictures of a very horrible scene.” Very well said. Why didn’t you put these in color and really do your readers in?
I hope you have the “guts” to print this as I know many out there will agree with me. Funny how that word “guts” came to mind. Must have been something I saw in the paper tonight!
Peggy Darst Townsdin
Coupeville
Event needed more coverage
For some reason, I thought that the Drug Enforcement Administration flying in a Presidential Advisor to speak to the citizens of Oak Harbor during Red Ribbon Week would be news. I have lived in Oak Harbor for 28 years and spent my summers here even before then. I do not remember Oak Harbor EVER having had the privilege of having a visit from a Presidential Advisor.
Leave it to our own local paper not to let anyone know about his visit, despite the fact that the Red Ribbon Committee tried four times to get the paper to publish an article about his visit. Fortunately, the DEA has promised to pick up the price of getting an article published next year. With plenty of cash, I am sure our wonderful local paper will make it BIG news then.
Interestingly enough, the Anacortes newspaper wrote articles about us three times this year. I have found that there is much more information about Oak Harbor in their paper as well as in the Skagit Valley Herald. I certainly have not missed the Whidbey News-Times since we dropped our subscription several years ago. After all, I like to know what is happening in Oak Harbor.
The Red Ribbon Committee would like to offer their apologies to everyone who would have been interested in listening to Mr. Henry Lozano speak about the nation’s Drug Control Policy and his friend, Enrique Camarena, the DEA agent who gave his life trying to keep our country drug free. Red Ribbon Week started in memory of “Kiki” Camarena and is celebrated nation wide. Mr. Lozano helped present the program to then President Ronald and Nancy Reagan. They served as the first honorary chairpersons for the Program and every president since that time has served as the chairperson for the program as well.
The Red Ribbon Committee would like to express our thanks to the many groups who helped make this celebration happen in Oak Harbor: Island Thrift, Key Bank, YMCA, Oak Harbor Pride, Paint Your Art Out, Navy Federal Credit Union, Dr. Sid Strothers, DDS., Oak Harbor Chiropractic Center, H & R Block, Office Max, Anacortes Eagles, Plaza Cinema, Mitzel’s, Godfather’s Pizza, Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, DARE, Parents for DARE, D.E.F.Y., the Oak Harbor Police Department, Washington State Patrol, Island County Sheriff’s Department, KWDB Radio Station (who have a great interest in their community and gave us an hour of air time as well as a ride in the Red Ribbon Parade), OHHS NJROTC, Touch of Faith Signers, Dugualla Bay Farms, the Oak Harbor School District and School Board Members, IDIPIC, Juvenile Court Services, the Whidbey Whirlers, OHHS Leadership Class, OHHS Cheerleaders, Mayor Cohen and City Council Members, Rob Prosch for acting as our Master of Ceremonies, Nathan Young for his outstanding rendition of the National Anthem, the many people who appeared as clowns or other characters for us, the parents who chaired this program at each school, and special thanks to the Washington State Drug Enforcement Administration, Mr. Henry Lozano, and Earl Sincere and NAS Security, who have continued to support us even in the face of their increasing responsibilities.
For everyone who missed Mr. Lozano, we do have good news: he has promised to visit us again. The next time he comes, I am pretty sure you will know he is coming; he will be paying the Whidbey News-Times to advertise his appearance.
Dis, Dis, and Double-Dis on you, Whidbey News-Times!
Sherry Rice
Red Ribbon Co-Chair
Thank you
Welcome signs greet Lancers
The Lancers of VAQ-131 would like to thank Ennens, Wal-Mart, Albertsons, Midway Florist, Antique Rose, Naval Exchange flower shop, Quiznos, Cenex, The Greenhouse, Krieg Concrete, K-Mart, and all the businesses that supported our return from deployment by hanging welcome signs. Your support is recognized and truly appreciated.
Cmdr. Randy Durhkopf
Commanding officer
VAQ-131
Hospital staff kind, caring
We would like to publicly express our gratitude to the fine staff at Whidbey General Hospital during the last week of Erik Erikson’s life.
Everyone was so kind and caring. Going far beyond the general rules of “health care,” they gave us warmth and genuine comfort during this difficult time. We were treated like members of the family and we are grateful for the dignified manner in which they cared for our loved one.
Thank you so much – we hope this says it well enough.
The family of W.W. “Erik” Erikson
Oak Harbor
Terrorism
Anthrax scare hits at home
This morning, while comfortably nestled in my Lazy Boy after removing the rubber band from my Seattle Times, I settled back to read the headlines when out of the corner of my right eye, I spotted the unmistakable trace of a white powder residue on my right hand and froze. In panic, I stared in disbelief at the powdery substance for what seemed like hours. My mind the whole time, racing to comprehend how or why anyone would target me?
No time for that, I thought, I must get this stuff off and call someone, but who? Try as I might, I couldn’t remember anything I’d heard on TV about what to do in such an event, because the sound of my own heart now pounding in my ears, faster and faster and louder and louder, drowned everything else out, and I was blank.
Why me? I said aloud, time and time again, as I made my way to sink to wash my hands, over and over again. I’m nobody for God sakes, Why me? I asked again. My neighbors don’t even know I’m alive, or do they?
Suddenly, I remembered that just recently I had an opinion published in the three different local newspapers. Could I have created enemies? Could this really be happening? Then it struck me.
Earlier, while putting my secret steak marinade together, which calls for among other things, corn starch, I accidentally tipped the box over, which must have splashed a bit of the contents onto the newspaper sitting nearby. Phew!
Having experienced all of the emotions connected with “thinking” that I had been somehow targeted, I now know how those actually targeted felt at the very moment they were exposed, and it was horrifying.
So far, my little story ends happily, but for those now carrying this deadly bacteria, and those who will no doubt be exposed in the coming weeks, my only words of comfort to you might be in the form of a reminder that you live in a country where the technology and medicines you need are readily available, so most likely you’ll be fine, as God willing, will we all.
Robert Afenir
Coupeville
Terrorism prompts verse
I am a student at Skagit Valley College on Whidbey Island; the island has been my home for 21 years. The recent Naval activity on the island has brought home perspective to the New York and Washington, D.C atrocities. Terrorism has struck a chord in my life; the following poem is my interpretation of these horrific events.
The nation of red white and blue, what does America really mean to you? I can’t believe the repercussions of what we might do.
Freedom is what we need to insure, but what terrible acts are going to occur?
Terrorism instilled fear into many, the perpetrators have tarnished the liberty on our penny.
Who are our allies and our foes? Does Washington really know?
Everyone reliving the tragedy, and still working, where I wonder is danger still lurking?
Will we turn into an atom? this I do not wish to fathom.
What we hear on the news, is what the country ensues.
We listen and pray, hoping to find answers the following day.
Our ears burn, from the silence, still nothing to learn.
History is repeating, how badly we have taken a beating.
ELIZABETH ADAMS
Oak Harbor
Taxes
Good schools increase values
I generally ignore the naysayers on taxes because they are usually against everything, including school levies. The individual from another state (Letters, Nov. 3) complaining that his real estate tax was $100 more here than in the other state didn’t mention what the other state’s taxes included. State income tax, or others?
Tim Eyman is a stupid individual who doesn’t value what services we have in this state, without a state income tax. Eyman’s I-747 is a bad idea and hopefully was defeated.
Yes, I voted against I-695 and I do vote for school levies because quality schools make my property more valuable because most people want to live in my school district.
William Gallagher
Coupeville
Education
Vouchers are constitutional
Those who are against school vouchers are fond of claiming that vouchers would constitute state entanglement in religion. This is untrue and illogical.
Public education involves a degree of socialism. Most of us agree that a child’s education shouldn’t depend entirely on a parent’s ability to pay, so the government takes money from the wealthier taxpayers to help fund education for low-income families. People who don’t have school-age children help pay for the education of children who are currently in school. Let’s assume this measure of equalization is a good thing. I think it is. According to our system, each school-age child is entitled to at least a minimum level of funding for his or her education.
So what’s wrong if parents are allowed to take the amount they have coming for their child’s education and choose which school they will use it on? Many would stay in public schools. If there were enough interested families in an area to make a Christian school viable, those families could use their allotment to send their children there. People of other religious or philosophical orientations (including non-religious) would be free to organize schools based on their values as well, and use their children’s share of education funds to help send them to those schools. The government wouldn’t be favoring one religion over another, or religion over atheism.
What about the religious content of those schools’ curriculum? Let’s say one fifth of the content of the curriculum was religious. As long as the government wasn’t funding more than 80 percent of each student’s education cost, the government wouldn’t be funding the religious portion. In reality the voucher would probably come no where near the cost of the academic component. Thus, it would still require a financial sacrifice for parents to send children to private or religious schools. It would still be cheaper to send your child to public school.
The government would have a right to insist that a legitimate education is taking place. However, government tests should not be ideological in nature, and the government should not hold a religious school to a standard that it doesn’t enforce on every public school as well.
I have children in both private and public schools. I appreciate the teachers in both systems that serve with integrity and dedication. I place great value on having strong public schools. A person might legitimately debate whether or not the voucher system is practical or desirable. But it would absolutely not be a violation of the principle of separation of church and state.
Marshall W. McBride
Oak Harbor
Government
End corporate welfare state
“United We Stand.” Those words have brought strength and comfort to many persons who have for two months been standing, united, waiting. We’ve been patient and polite, cautious, not too hasty to criticize our government. We’ve stood and prayed, we’ve even gone shopping. With vigilant eyes many of us have stood at our windows, sometimes in tears, watching the blur of red, white and blue whip wildly around flag posts in our yards. We’ve stood together counting our blessings, and in turn blessing others, especially the men and women of this country who make great sacrifices to protect democracy. We owe these courageous people a debt of gratitude and United We Stand in their honor.
Today, however, I stand angry, and maybe I stand alone. But it is time to break ranks with the silent and polite. I am outraged about another kind of terrorism, the corporate terrorism that is getting the support of this administration by the President’s proposal to subsidize (once again) the already too powerful and too wealthy corporations with outrageous tax cuts. As Americans we must not stand for this.
To those who govern we must stand and say, “Stop! Stop the corporate welfare!” Stop corporate welfare and we can afford a health care system that is designed to serve the best interest of the people, we can afford to solve our educational and homelessness problems. Stand for fair taxation and end the corporate subsidies and we can afford “real” airline security, and top-notch public transportation systems. Pass meaningful campaign finance reform and next election we will stand as proud citizens assured that our votes really count.
We must no longer stand for corporations’ manipulating the media, deciding and delivering only what they want people to hear and see, slick sound bites with no substance. The loss of a free press is a far greater threat to our democracy than Osama bin Laden and anthrax will ever pose. End the handouts to the wealthiest few and we will no longer have to drop bombs on babies abroad in order to satisfy our addiction to oil and big cars.
We will instead be free to invest in renewable energy sources, we will be free to sign the Kyoto agreement and cut down the disproportionate amount of carbon dioxide we spew into the atmosphere.
End corporate welfare and we will stand as equal partners with the rest of the world attempting to end terrorism by working together for social justice in the U.S. and around the globe.
“United We Stand,” these are comforting and powerful words, but only if the words represent a true vision of democracy, a vision which brings an end to corporate subsidies and political bribery. A vision which includes the people and elected officials working together for the good of the country and peace around the world.
Teresa Dix
Coupeville
