LETTER: Lowering SPD employment standards is a mistake

May 27, 2013

Letter to Editor
 
It is my opinion that lowering standards for employment with SPD is doing a dis-service to all concerned.
This action not only will probably cause  the DOJ along with  Mr. Merrick Bob and his band of merrymen to remain in Seattle at absorbent cost to the taxpayers to see  that this change is  carried out as they have (unjustly in my and others opinions) determined that neither the Mayor, the City Council or SPD itself capable of the job.

One can certainly understand  and agree that the SPD should reflect all members of our community.
That being said, I disagree that we need to make changes that are not necessary and lower standards.  Mayor McGinn has said he wants the SPD to "reflect the community it serves."

Admirable. Is this saying there are NO APPLICANTS from different ethnic backgrounds or cultural backgrounds that can pass the existing requirements to make law enforcement a career? Definitely not true.  Take a look at the current make-up of SPD.  

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LETTER: Nickelsville deserves no support

To the editor,

It is untenable to support the so-called Nickelsville in any form. It is nothing more or less than a slum just like the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Is that what we want Seattle to become, another Rio with its poor living in rickety homemade housing? It's time we stop wasting public money on frivolities like trying to get another ill-fated basketball team here and start paying attention to things that matter, things that have real bearing on the lifestyle of all of us. It's ironic that a big deal was made of flying salmon from Alaska in the same issue. Flip a few pages and you see people who have no hope of ever having a bite of salmon.

Walter Marquardt
Westwood

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LETTER: Gossip can hurt

Apr 22, 2013

To the editor:
Imagine a student getting embarrassed or hurt because of a fake rumor about how he barfed in music class. Too much gossip and rumor are hurting students at middle schools because gossip can bully someone and he can get so bad they’re too scared to show they’re face. Also almost half of these rumors going around are a lie or get changed as it goes around and once someone says something you can’t take it back or delete it. There’s too much gossip hurting people in middle schools.

Students who gossip can bully a student and can get so bad that the person is too scared to show their face. Maybe you are just joking with a friend saying “did you hear that Maya likes Jake?” Your friend that you told this to might not think it’s a joke and spread this around. Think about if “Jason” or “Maya” hears that they may be mad or embarrassed because this is not true. Also, this stuff can get online and this could turn into cyber bullying. Even if this was a joke, this shows that students can be hurt by a rumor or gossip getting spread around. Gossip can and will take a wrong turn on someone.

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