Letters to the Editor 2/15/2022

Love thy neighbor

To The Editor:

Please read the book “This Fight Is Our Fight,” by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. “And it is our fight, all of us!” She tells us the truth! This country only works for those with “big money” to make it work for them!? I have been told by two political offices — a state senator, and a state representative — that prices are so high in Oregon because Oregon has become a “distorted supply and demand state.”

And we are supposed to trust those we elect and what they do and say! I would just like to remind folks that God has never played favorites; he loves all his children equally.

He works for the good of all not just the favored few! Oregon, please hear God’s words.

And I want to thank hugely all of the courageous special people who have given so much of themselves and have worked the front lines so hard for all of us, and for Sisters herself, during this nasty pandemic.

I pray God to keep them all safe, and lift this virus that burdens us so.

We need to listen to God’s voice (Matt 5:43-46).

We need to try to make a difference (all of us), in our own community, thereby leading the way for all communities.

It has to start somewhere! Let Sisters lead the way — amen? Stand together as brothers and sisters in Christ! Care about one another: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

It’s called “Unity,” “United We Stand, Divided We Fall,” “A Nation Without God, Will Die.”

And thank you, Naomi Rowe, Lance Trowbridge, Kiwanis, Shepherd’s House, Bethlehem Inn, the Cold Weather Shelter, Sparrow Club, Furry Friends, and all the others who help so much. God loves all his children “equally.” AMEN...

And thank you, too, Diane Goble! May others who care come forward and help make “affordable housing more affordable.”

(See: Bulletin editorial, “Stop making affordable housing less affordable city of Bend.” December 3, 2020).

In His holy name,

C. Johnson

Secret Socialists...

To the Editor:

I just want to take a moment to thank Kris Calvin for his letter to the editor from last week’s Nugget. Kris, I can’t begin to tell you just what your letter meant to me, because I, too, am a secret Sisters Socialist and for weeks and weeks in The Nugget the Democrats have been vilified for just about everything imaginable. It’s all about “patriots versus leftists,” we’re told.

So, it was nice to find out that there is a secretive Sisters Socialist Society and you have ping-pong and cookies, too! Count me in! Hey, I bet you guys could tell me how to get a crack pipe from the Biden administration. I hear they’re giving them out for free!

Terry Weygandt

The impact of Title IX

To the Editor:

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX.

Back in 1972 Title IX was passed by Congress to give equal access for all in educational and other activities in schools that received public funding.

Deirdre Kanzig, a third grade teacher at SES, was 11 years old at the time. She played volleyball and track in school but there were no winter sports for girls in Fossil, Oregon. When Deirdre attended Wheeler High School, her science teacher, a woman, encouraged her and others to put together a girls basketball team. There wasn’t such a team, so the girls enthusiastically went out for the boys team, much to the consternation of JV boys who were worried that they might not get to play.

However, with the support of the school board they were able to put together their own girls basketball team. They played against other teams from Hepner, Ione, Dufur, Condon, Arlington, Spray and Mitchell. It was fun and the team was very supported by the community of Fossil. In the 1977-78 season, they even won state!

Many people were quite upset with Title IX. Jesse Helms, a senator from North Carolina, condemned Title IX in its entirety. Senator John Tower in 1974 proposed the “Tower Amendment” which would exempt revenue-producing sports from Title IX compliance. President Ronald Reagan vetoed the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 that sought to restore some of the coverage of Title IX that had been lost. All these attempts at limiting full access to educational and athletic activities failed. There are still plenty of inequities that need to be addressed; salaries, travel expenses, supplies and facilities to name a few. The work continues but Title IX has survived.

In this season of the Winter Olympics, it’s hard to believe that only 50 years ago women were denied access to many athletic activities. Some of this was due to people thinking that neither girls nor the public cared all the much for girls sports. You would hear statements like, “You throw like a girl; you run like a girl; not bad…for a girl; girls can’t dribble a ball; woman driver (meaning a bad driver); girls aren’t strong enough to pole vault or run a marathon.” These put-downs just don’t fly in today’s world of sports. If you were to say such things at work, they might even get you fired.

The major author behind Title IX was Representative Patsy F. Mink of Hawaii. She is an example of where one person can make a big difference in how we treat one another. This might be also true for you.

Did Title IX have an effect on your life in some way? Were your brothers, sisters or other family members treated differently at school because of their gender? Do you have a story like Deirdre’s? Please share your stories as they are all a part of our continued education into understanding one another better.

Paul Bennett

Thanks for the warning

To the Editor:

I wish to say thank you to the two recent letter writers who were kind enough to warn the residents of Sisters of a looming danger. Finally, someone is courageous enough to speak up about what so many of us are afraid to even think about, let alone say.

“Be aware folks, they walk among us.” Thank you, thank you for the warning.

Since childhood I have always been afraid of “them.” So be careful when you go out at night.

I’m glad to see that others are also afraid of and watching for zombies.

Greg Pozovich