Letters to the Editor - 03.04

Missed opportunity to teach a lesson

To the editor,

I would like to respond to the gentleman whose child did not make whatever team they recently tried out for. I think this father has missed out on an opportunity to teach his child one of the tough lessons of life — that we can’t always have things work out the way we want. He says his kid gave 110 percent and worked his behind off. Great! Unfortunately, sometimes effort alone is not enough. What if every single child gave 110 percent and tried their behinds off? This gentleman said it himself, every kid cannot make the team. He should pat his child on the back, and then explain that they can practice and give it another try next year, or tell them that maybe it is time to pursue another sport or activity. At any rate, the last thing we should teach our children is to point fingers or find someone else to blame for our lot in life. Life is full of adversity and it is how we handle this adversity that defines us. I hope that this father takes the time to remind his child of this and more importantly, encourages his child to keep his or her head up and keep giving a 110 percent in everything they do.

Will Carlton

Harrodsburg

March is time to honor social workers

To the editor:

When life’s challenges become overwhelming, many people turn to a social worker for help. Finding help from a social worker brings to light the great potential and many possibilities in every person’s life.

March is National Social Work Month, a time to celebrate the more than 600,000 social workers throughout the nation. This year’s theme, “Social Work: Purpose & Possibility” highlights the many ways that social workers help in communities across the country.

Social workers help people in all stages of life, from children to the elderly, and provide assistance to families dealing with what sometimes appear to be insurmountable obstacles. As society’s safety net, social workers provide vital resources and support to those who need it most.

From end of life decisions to depression or addiction, social workers have the education and experience to help people through some of life’s toughest decisions. Social workers are in schools, courtrooms, drug clinics, hospitals, senior centers, shelters, nursing homes, the military, disaster relief, prisons, and corporations.

Social workers work across a range of practice areas to help those most vulnerable in our society. Some social workers help clients who face a disability or a life-threatening disease or a social problem. Some assist families that have domestic conflicts involving children or spousal abuse. Other social workers conduct research, advocate for improved services or are involved in policy development. Social workers believe there are no limits to human potential, and use their talents to help others create better lives for themselves and their families.

Information about the many ways social workers help can be found at www.helpstartshere.org.

Dora Hall

Director, Frankfort office

Hospice of the Bluegrass

Why don’t more residents recycle?

The city of Lawrenceburg does have curb-side recycling but most residents don’t know it, and with the current program it’s more of a hassle than anything.

I have called the recycle person about eight times over the last 45 days to pick up my recyclables. I have been told every time that it will be picked up, but I am up to two cans and five trash bags completely full and I still haven’t seen him.

I have considered putting it in with the trash but the guilt I would feel stops me every week because I know that the national recycling rate of 30 percent saves more than 5 billion gallons of gasoline, reducing our dependence on foreign oil by 114 million barrels. I also know that recycling 10,000 tons of waste creates 36 jobs compared to six for landfill or one for incineration.

Curbside recycling is supposed to make it easier for households to be part of the solution, and although 75 percent of what Americans throw in the trash can be recycled, only 25-30 percent is currently being recycled.

I think I have proved my point on the importance of recycling, but can we expect residents to get on board when our system is such a mess that we have bags sitting in the yard for weeks at a time?

Dana Froste

Lawrenceburg

A new era of bipartisanship?

To the editor:

When the Democratic Party took control of Congress in 2006, Congressional leaders Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi announced that they were going to usher in a “new era of bipartisanship.”

They assured the American public that they would put aside party differences and “seek common ground.” This was the era of bipartisanship with a Republican Administration and a Democratic Congress. However, the elections of 2008 would be different.

The 2008 elections resonated through both houses of Congress as the Democratic Party picked up additional seats from the 2006 elections. The results of the 2008 elections are now unfolding before our eyes, to some with bewildering astonishment.

The direction of our country is now firmly ensconced with the Democratic Party. The first major order of business is to confront the ever-evolving ebb and flow of the economy, the 2008-09 recession. We now look to the legislature to help resolve the economic crisis that now confronts us. From the new era of bipartisanship two years ago, the American public now hears from Nancy Pelosi, “we won the election, we’ll write the bill.” Republican lawmakers were far removed from constructing the largest spending bill in American history.

So what happened to bipartisanship and common ground?

There is value in digressing for a moment to actually form some common ground. The United States Constitution guides our founding principles through the rule of law. These principles reflect the natural laws of man as expressed from one of the most influential periods in world history, the Enlightenment. The Declaration of Independence proclaims that “all men (people) are created equal with certain unalienable rights.” Equality and rights are therefore founding principles that our nation supports and protects. These rights are supported in the Constitution. It is worth noting at this point that the Constitution was only ratified with the understanding that a Bill of Rights would be included as the first amendments to the Constitution.

The Bill of Rights specifically addresses the unalienable rights of man. Our founding fathers recognized that by simply relying on the Constitution, a mob rule mentality might then flourish. By incorporating the Bill of Rights, the framers of the Constitution distinguished that all voices have an equal say in the day-to-day cooperation among people and government. This is one of the truly remarkable tenants of the United States Constitution; that all people are recognized and have a say in the everyday workings of the United States of America.

Let’s now return to the 2008 election and the current power of the 2009 Democratic Congress. In just two short years Congressional leaders have gone from “seeking common ground” for both parties to a near super majority and “we’ll right the bill” mentality. By alienating Republican lawmakers, the majority has infringed upon the principles that have founded the United States of America. Although no Constitutional laws have been broken by a Democratic supermajority vote, the manner in which the 2009 Stimulus Package was constructed and approved has violated the principles that have founded the greatest supporters of liberty in the history of mankind. Giving voice to the minority sheds light upon the principles that affect all people and not simply the majority (mob) rule. Bipartisanship, is therefore a consensus of the unalienable rights of man and should be included as part of both sides of an opinion or argument, even if that means sacrificing your power for principles.

Bill McHugh

Lawrenceburg