Letters to the Editor

The unspeakable

Editor, the Journal,

This is a difficult subject and one I expect many will find objectionable in today’s divisive climate.

I’m a white man who has had many and various relationships with people of color during my life. None of which support the idea of my personal “racism.”. I was raised in a color-blind home. For example, as a child, I recall a local Black pig farmer who came to our home to ask his friend, my father, to help him sort out some zoning ordinances that seemed biased and were affecting his ability to successfully run his farm.

My father finally ended up appealing to the U.S. senators from Washington; Henry Jackson and Warren Magnuson, for redress. Their roles or actions have been obscured by time, but apparently the zoning issue was resolved in the farmer’s behalf. That Black man was a frequent visitor to our home and was not the only black man who attended my father’s funeral.

After high school, I spent eight days in jail after resisting arrest for the crime of taking a Black friend to join me for pizza in Kennewick, Washington. In the ’50s the city excluded Blacks from residency.

As a barracks chief in my Air Force basic training, I had the unique opportunity to command about 50 men. About half were Blacks from Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan, mixed with Southern whites from Florida and Georgia. The contrast in character became readily apparent when one of the white fellows from Florida said, “I ain’t taking orders from no n _ _ _ _ _.” He ended up, after persuasion, doing so and three of the four squad leaders I selected, were Black, chosen by me because they demonstrated the best leadership skills of the men under my responsibility. I am proud to say I’ve always followed my father’s admonition to consider not the cut of a man’s clothes nor the color of his skin when considering his character.

This past couple of years, as I’ve watched the TV news, I see in the crowds of protesters, a mix of races depending upon the issues. Many of those issues are important and need attention. I also have noticed the preponderance of black faces who are carjacking, setting fires, looting, rioting and causing destruction. It’s as though there is a new and accepted culture in some of the Black communities of color that says, “Hey, there was a shooting, let’s go set some fires and steal something.” Are my eyes racist? Is it racist to acknowledge what I see? Why are we ignoring what is before us? Is the evidence real? Do you see it, or do you not want to take an honest look? And even more of a question is, why do we, the individual and collective we, fail to acknowledge what we are seeing? Why is the issue taboo in the media?

Do I like to say this about a particular Black culture? Hell no! But is it the truth? And if it is; why do we avoid acknowledging it? And who are we serving by doing so? Am I suggesting all blacks are looters? How stupid would that be? But why is that “culture,” the one that’s being displayed committing all these televised criminal acts, why does it even exist? Why are the carjackings caught on camera being committed disproportionately by black men? And why don’t we examine why the “let’s steal something because we’re entitled” culture is being extolled and legitimized in the media and by certain politicians?

I contrast that part of Black culture with the Black football players at the University of Oregon, who, in post-spring game YouTube videos, to a man, extolled the value of discipline, hard work and personal integrity in achieving their goals. I am so proud of those young football players. We all know that anyone who achieves anything will echo their words. They know what it takes to succeed and it’s not just showing up. It’s a work ethic. It’s putting in the time and effort to achieve and leaving excuses to the failure class, the “victims,” whose whining is shrill and loud and supported by the disingenuous and often dishonest media and political power-seekers of today who refuse to say what is real and true. They are the villains of today; trading integrity for profit and power. The evidence is before us. Unless we call them to account with our votes and our patronage, the nation is in deep trouble.

Lee Ferguson

Union

Christmas past

Editor, the Journal,

I remember, as a small boy of 5, standing in my bathrobe and staring out a dark window at the night sky. It was 8 p.m. — a late hour for me at the time — and I was waiting and watching for that “miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.” Alas, I yawned, and was trundled off to bed.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! How I wish we could go back, at least for a while, to those wonderful years of childhood, of dreams, of magic, of good things, of unlimited possibilities, of, well, those little reindeer.

I love all the Christmas music, especially 1945’s “The Christmas Song,” you know “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” but “Silver Bells” remains a favorite.

Unfortunately, some are causing us to go through tough times now, but it doesn't need to be this way. We live in a strong country that is good because its people are good. We can go back to bickering another time. No one is fleeing America. We must stick together.

Although it’s been said many times many ways, Merry Christmas to you.

Robert E. Graham

Union

Let’s take a break

Editor, the Journal,

My favorite U.S. president of all time, Calvin Coolidge, is quoted as having said:

“Christmas is not a time or season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”

My hope is that for this Christmas season we Americans will surrender our partisan political enthusiasm and replace it with contemplation of the blessings bestowed upon us; then perhaps work together ensure these blessings will not only endure but expand to encompass all peoples.

Banish vitriolic partisanship and embrace humanistic cooperation — at least for the duration of this season of fellowship and good cheer.

And then after Jan. 2, get back to being our normally conflicted, pleasant and cantankerous selves.

James Poirson

Shelton

Violation in Belfair

Editor, the Journal,

As someone who owns copyrighted properties, it saddens me that an unauthorized use of a registered trademarked image continues to be on display in Belfair. According to 18 U.S.C. subsection 711, the punishment for unauthorized use of a trademark is a $250 fine and/or six months in jail. After talking to various government agencies, it has been made clear to me that no action will be taken.

As far as the sign itself, it is hypocrisy — calling to action against perceived unlawfulness, while illegally displaying an image.

Barbara Treick

Allyn

It’s a big mess

Editor, the Journal,

The Community Lifeline Shelter needs to move to a location away from residential areas.

Recently only property owners within 300 feet of the Community Lifeline Shelter received notices that the shelter wants to expand from 35 residents to 50 residents — even though there are over 11,000 residents in the City of Shelton. The shelter needs to find a suitable location and a building which is equipped to house people — not a building designed and built as a meeting hall only.

Many residents and neighboring businesses have been adversely affected by the shelter at its current location. There are already so many crimes and public health hazards in our area related to the shelter residents, it is likely that increasing the capacity can only increase these problems. Last week’s Journal has a full-page story about the shelter.

There have been an average of 250 to 300 police incidence calls to the shelter in just the past two years – in 2020 and so far in 2021. This is for only 35 residents. The Shelton Fire Department responded to 133 calls to the shelter in 2020, and to 88 calls to the shelter so far in 2021 — all for only 35 shelter residents. Now the shelter wants to increase the capacity to 50 residents. In two years, over 500 police calls and over 221 fire department calls — all this for 35 residents. These 35 residents of the shelter are costing the City of Shelton hundreds of thousands of wasted taxpayer dollars — wasted resources. So, what is 50 going to cost us? A third more?

The mismanagement of the shelter needs to be investigated by the Shelter’s board, the City Council and county commissioners. The shelter needs to move to an area away from residential homes. There is absolutely no security at the shelter. There are no trained security personnel at all and a security system they cannot access. There are assaults at the shelter, and other dangerous incidents there daily. The problems with the shelter’s management are monumental.

Please write the editor about your homeless encounters with the squatters, the garbage, the assaults, the trespasses, the stolen shopping carts, the park squatters, the motorhomes and the cars. It is a endless mess that the shelter is causing in downtown Shelton.

Rod Whittaker

Shelton

More affluent effluent

Editor, the Journal,

The issue of the sewer improvements in Belfair continues to come up at council meetings. My concern is that one Commissioner in particular, Kevin Shutty, wants to push this through like highly compacted excrement through a painfully constricted passage. And my experience is that when that happens, the guys who benefit the most are the ones who need it the least, So, let’s get down to the nitty gritty: money.

Now I am in favor of growth. I’m not even advocating against this project. Growth is inevitable and necessary to maintain affordable housing. And I think that waste disposal is a critical part of that growth. This growth means money. Big money. And big money attracts business interests in the form of bankers, developers and owners of big parcels of land. These interests need government participation to provide basic services, like getting rid of the effluent. So when the business interests talk about themselves as the only creators of wealth, they are passing off the aforementioned excrement as chicken salad.

Let’s analyze the motivations of these big-money interests. They want the greatest profit possible. And the way to get that is to shove the biggest risk of the project onto someone else. That someone else is utility ratepayers and taxpayers. The more risk the rate- and taxpayers are exposed to, the less the money guys are exposed to. And that is more money to stick in their pockets. Their profits come first, and they care not for the effect on your tax bill. Nor do they care about the effects of rates on current people with connections into the existing sewer line. That’s not their problem.

This is my interest as a taxpayer. I would think that is an interest for all us taxpayers. I want the least about of risk that my tax bill will go up to cover costs that everyone said were going to never happen because new hookups would cover it. I care as much about profit margins to the developer and parcel owners as they care about my costs. And that amount of care is nothing at all.

Just so we understand this. I want as little cost to the you and I, the tax- and ratepayers, as possible. If there are improvements to a parcel, the cost of those improvements should be reimbursed to the taxpayer on sale. Otherwise, we are simply giving value to a rich person.

I expect the county commissioners to expose me to as little as possible. Because if I have to pay for excess profits going into the pockets of rich people, then I am going to accuse the commissioners of being socialists. They would just be socialists for rich people. In short, I want to make sure this council plays hardball. As it is, I see them rolling over.

Andrew Makar

Hoodsport