Letters: Dishonest police, uninspiring Klippert and more | June 10

Trash in parks unwelcome sight

I am writing to share my concern about the littering around town. I’m concerned that people around town will think that littering is okay, and they will just keep littering. I see a lot of littering in parks and my concern is for the mothers who take their kids to the parks. Mothers would probably not want to take their kids because they would be concerned that the kids would grab the trash.

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Dishonest police face ‘Brady list’

Like all of us, all police are human too. Like some of us, some police are dishonest too. The difference is that if you are wearing a uniform or have a badge, the courts and district attorneys may offer dishonest police “absolute shielding,” which makes it difficult to achieve transparency and hold police accountable for their dishonesty.

If you do not wear a uniform or have a badge, courts and district attorneys can inflict great pain on you even if your dishonesty was provoked or instigated by police in order to justify your arrest by persuading you to commit the crime police instigated.

Recently some honorable and responsible district attorneys have instituted “Brady Lists” to identify and keep track of dishonest police. According to (the) Bend, Ore., newspaper, The Bulletin, (July 12, 2020) seven police, three from Crook County and four from Deschutes County, have been “Brady Listed” and are either no longer employed or are disqualified from testifying as a witness. Truthfulness by police is paramount because of the work they are supposed do and the authority they have. At stake is public trust, honesty, integrity and an oath of office.

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Keep cigarette butts picked up

I’m writing about cigarette butts being on the ground. Having these on the ground can be very damaging for children. They can end up in their mouths. We can put out a sign or maybe trash cans for the cigarette’s butts.

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Something isn’t right in Senate

The bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection is not going to happen, thanks to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s machinations. Senate Republicans ended up scuttling it, in spite of the fact that 54 senators voted in favor to 35 opposed, with 89 Senators showing up to vote. Only in the current American Senate could a majority vote that large be the losing vote. Am I missing something about how the non-votes of no-show senators counted?

Consider that 54 out of 89 senators voting in favor is 60.7% of the votes. If the filibuster bar were set at 60% of the votes, instead of 10 votes no matter how many or how few senators are voting, the Jan. 6 Commission would have passed.

I would really have trouble explaining this outcome to fourth-grade class, or to a visitor from a foreign land coming to tour the great USA.

No wonder the Senate is called the legislative graveyard where bills go to die. Something must be wrong with some of the Senate rules!

Is there nothing that can be done about this situation?

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Rep. Klippert’s talk uninspiring

Brad Klippert was the speaker at Sunset Gardens Memorial Day program 2021, and missed an opportunity to provide a message to the community of the importance of service and sacrifices of those that gave it all as part of service. Instead, he gave a rambling series of past presidents quotes and ended with a screaming impression of the Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Green MAGA rally cry. Not at all inspiring!

This story was originally published June 10, 2021 at 9:41 PM with the headline "Letters: Dishonest police, uninspiring Klippert and more | June 10."