Banned books, Richland mask decision, Hanford cheer team and other Herald letters

Career event coming up

Soroptimist International of Three Rivers (SI3R) and Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick (SIPK) are presenting “Dream It Be It” on Saturday March 12 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at Educational District 123, 3924 W. Court Street in Pasco.

“Dream It Be It” is a free career support event for high school girls in grades 9 through 12. This fun program provides girls with access to career education, professional role models, and the resources to live their dreams. The event includes lunch and snacks for the participants. SI3R and SIPK are part of Soroptimist International of the Americas. They are non-profit service organizations of women with a passion for investing in dreams and empowering local women and girls to achieve their goals. Pre-registration for this free “Dream It Be IT” event is required and the deadline to register is March 1. To request a registration packet please email: dibi.tri.cities@gmail.com.

Jann Frye, Kennewick

Dream It Be It Registration Team

Soroptimist International of Three Rivers

Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick

Police are there when needed

Years ago, my 4-year-old grandson awoke in the middle of the night, and wandered off.

We could not find him. After looking for him, we quickly decided to call the police. The fact they arrived to help us look, in less time than it took the dispatcher to take my information was not lost on me. We did find him, and he was okay.

Years later, a dear friend, mentally and emotionally on the decline, had become hysterical was threatening to commit suicide. The police were called, and when I arrived, I saw them accompanied by a “personal counselor(?).” She had “talked him down.”

In my life, I have never been robbed or threatened with a gun, or been a victim of a violent crime. But I have seen seemingly “lost, and troubled” people wandering shoeless in my fairly nice neighborhood.

Much of this may be due to living in a very stressful time, an aging population, drugs, COVID-19 and/or the lack of adequate medical/emotional care.

I am immensely grateful for the police, and don’t mean to slight them the least, but their job is much more than “shooting bad guys.”

And their funding allocation, etc. should reflect that.

D. L. (Andy) Anderson, Richland

Some will follow the crowd to fit in

In a study in 1951, psychologist professor Solomon Asch set up groups of students and asked the individuals in that group to determine which of a set of three lines of different length was closest to a separate target line. The study was a setup, because all but one individual in that group (confederates) were in on the plot. Over a series of trials, these confederates frequently incorrectly asserted that all the lines were of the same length. The targeted individual answered last, after hearing the opinions of the others. The individual on average voted incorrectly along with the majority 32% of the time but maintained their own opinion when no confederates were present.

Why this result? Participants stated that they voted with the group to fit in, despite their doubts, or they believed the group was better informed and voted without doubt. This study and its limitations have been thoroughly reviewed, but the broad conclusion seems clear — that people can be persuaded to go along (despite their doubts) if their group asserts something strongly enough, despite how crazy the assertion. It seems we should all pay attention to how we make our decisions, and where our evidence comes from.

David King, Richland

Let’s dissolve hospital district

A taxing district with an unknown philanthropist mission. These leaders tax each of us to continue their self-proclaimed mission of philanthropy. They (Richard L. Reil, Leland B. Kerr, Nathan Burt, Gary G. Long, Mark Brault, Steve Blodgett, Wanda Briggs, Sheila Dunlop, Marv Kinney, Heidi Ellerd, Salem Thompson) even though you and I, the voters told them not once, not twice, but three times to leave the hospital alone and to utilize the existing old Kennewick General Hospital site to expand. Yet they knew better and with this self-proclaimed wisdom bankrupted the hospital and its holdings were sold to private owners.

Now they continue to tax each of us with an unknown mission, an unknown and not published agenda, they refuse to answer questions and hold their meetings at undisclosed locations at undisclosed times. If you want to challenge them you must do so in writing and then, based on the topic, you may or may not be heard. They decide? Who do they think they are? They know best? Yeah, we saw how that worked out. A bankrupted public hospital sold to private parties with massive penalties that we have paid. Vote to dissolve.

Donald Taylor, Kennewick

Editor’s note: The Kennewick Hospital Board meets on the last Thursday of each month via Zoom. Monthly meeting notices are published @kenkphd.com.

Choose Klippert, not ‘shady’ Culp

While President Trump may have endorsed Loren Culp, a man with a shady history of grifting anyone involved in his unsuccessful campaigns, it is imperative for the future of our conservative movement in Eastern Washington that State Rep. Brad Klippert, a man of God and a man of integrity, stays in this campaign for Congress until every voter — those here in Washington, not Mar-A-Lago — has a chance to cast a vote! Vote for Faith and Freedom, vote Klippert!

Jennifer Barrett Frater, Richland

No children are disposable, RSD

I’m writing to add my support to those on the Richland School Board that want to do the right thing for the majority of students — keep masking in schools. The whole argument that “most kids” won’t get sick or die from Covid-19 doesn’t fly. Any child death is too many. And in particular, it angers me that those with “healthy” children seem to think that those of us with children with medical issues and special needs have “disposable” children, in that if they get sick and die, well, they had pre-existing conditions. Those of you on the board who are anti-mask, you have a duty to support all Richland School District students. You can not pick and choose who to represent.

Keep masks in schools and protect all children.

Jennifer Buchanan, Richland

Book banners add to his reading list

Just when I was about to run out of reading material, a new slew of books jumped onto these eyes. Lo, thanks to the many school boards and bonded parents across the country who have raised their blood pressure over certain book titles (USA Today, Feb. 8), I now have lots and lots of new stories and old stories to reread. And not only that, but I will be ordering multiple banned copies of The Hobbit, 1984, Black Beauty, Tarzan and the Apes, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Maus and Men, and many, many others for friends and relatives. No sarcasm intended, but thanks to the upset citizens who brought these tales to mind, you couldn’t have done a better job of awareness than had Madison Avenue billboarded them. Nothing like telling people they can’t read something to get them to read it. Forward, censors!

Bink Owen, Walla Walla

Hanford cheer squad outstanding

Congratulations to the Hanford Falcon cheerleading team for its two, first place wins at the Washington State Cheerleading Championships Feb. 4-5 in Battleground.

While attending the championship contest as a parent of a cheerleader of a competing school, I had the pleasure of watching these amazing athletes on the Hanford Falcon cheer team.

Your performances were exceptional to watch and your wins well deserved. Great job, athletes and coaches. Thanks to GESA Credit Union for being a sponsor.

Kathryn Sheldon, Puyallup