Santa Maria Sun / Letters to the Editor

A quick question

Frederick Thom - San Luis Obispo

What is it about waterboarding a prisoner 83 times that makes our president want to keep it a secret?

Nurses love helping students get their needs met

Robyn Turner, RN, district nurse administrator - Orcutt Union School District

On behalf of my fellow school nurses, I would like to thank you for highlighting our profession in your recent issue (“Nurse of all trades,” Jan. 19). However, there is one very important point I made several times during my interview with Ms. Asman that didn’t make it to print.

As nurses, a significant portion of our efforts is focused on helping students and their families make needed connections in the community, which, in turn, contribute greatly to that student’s success in the classroom. Those connections might be in the area of medical needs, mental health resources, assistance in obtaining glasses or hearing aids, dental care, a new pair of shoes, a warm jacket, or food for the family.

Speaking for myself, this is by far the most gratifying aspect of my job. Knowing that a student is now able to concentrate on his lesson without squinting to see the board or hearing his stomach growl is one of our greatest rewards. It’s true what they say: Healthy kids learn better!

Partner with us in caring for the community

Ashley Payne - Community Partners in Caring executive director

Community Partners in Caring is a volunteer organization helping seniors (62 and older) in need. The mission of the organization is to provide volunteer services for seniors, allowing them to continue living independently with quality of life. The pool of 88 screened and trained volunteers served 441 clients last Fiscal Year 5,065 times with services such as door-through-door transportation to medical appointments, shopping, or errands; friendly visits; respite care; minor home repairs by contractors; light housekeeping; and yard work—all without charge in the Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Santa Ynez valleys.

In reference to our ad in last week’s publication, I wanted to clarify that 85 cents from every dollar goes directly to support the services provided by the program. Thank you for your continued support so we can continue helping more seniors age in place with grace!

There has to be a free-speech litmus

Eugene G. Carl - Nipomo

Our freedom of speech First Amendment rights conflict with our 14th Amendment rights for equal representation. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Buckley v. Valeo ruled that money is personal property and is used to express the same way as freedom of speech is unlimited. Our legislators have tried to limit the amount of money individuals can donate, but groups can donate unrestricted.

Freedom of speech donation money has to have some litmus test where the potential of compromise for equal representation’s integrity cannot be manipulated.

The Supreme Court’s ruling for the maintenance of equal representation has given us guidelines to follow for the cases of gerrymandering. These guidelines give us flexibilities to meet the needs of all changes for equal representation within the established districts.

We have districts in all forms within our social structure. The purpose of having districts is to establish boundaries and maintain responsibilities of need and representation.

Someone who has “standing” could request that the Supreme Court revisit the Buckley v. Valeo decision on money’s freedom of speech rights to that of gerrymandering guidelines for maintaining equal representation within our districts.

“Monies from outside our district cannot vote.”

California's public school crisis is unacceptable

Frank DePasquale - Cambria

The funding and legislative support for education in California has been slowly declining for the past 20 years. We are now ranked 46th in the nation for per-pupil spending. Even more dramatic declines have taken place in the last three years. In this period, more than $20 billion has been cut from our schools and colleges, and we have lost about 40,000 teachers and support staff.

This is especially troublesome because of the demographic shifts we have experienced in California. The poverty levels and number of second-language-learners in our schools has increased exponentially, and the middle class no longer has access to an affordable college education. Instead of cutting, we should be increasing our support with massive amounts of funding to our schools to meet these challenges.

This crisis in public education should be unacceptable in a state like California that has such wealth and natural resources. The concept of “noble obligation” to assist with those who are less fortunate does not even enter the discussion. I am reminded of a quote by Garrison Keillor: “Nothing you do for children is ever wasted.” The key to upward mobility and a place in the middle class has always been a strong public education system. What are we doing to our children; what are we doing to their future; what are we doing to this country?

We need an unbiased 9/11 investigation

Will Powers, Ph.D - San Luis Obispo

Most Christians are familiar with Jesus’ teaching that a house built upon sand will collapse. His message? A life based on dishonesty cannot succeed.

The same is true for a nation.

From its inception, this country has been predicated upon dishonesty, from the myths we perpetrate about the murderous Columbus to the history-book claim that the Native Americans we slaughtered were the aggressor.

We cannot go back and undo our grievous behavior regarding Native Americans, slaves, nor Japanese-Americans during World War II.

However, there is still time to correct the lies contained in the “official story” about 9/11, which became the basis for manipulating most Americans into supporting our war-crimes invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan (reference the Nuremberg-trial report the United States wrote).

It is imperative that we heed the 1,500 professionals who make up Architects and Engineers for 9-11 Truth (ae911truth.org). A fair, unbiased investigation must be conducted to determine what really happened on that fateful day if we, as a nation, are to proceed on the basis of honesty and reality.

Else, our continuing self-deception contains within it the seeds of our own destruction.