Apparently pickleball is more important than schools, and other Herald letters

Adult fun matters more than children

On the front page of the Tri-City Herald on May 23 were two headlines. One said, “Kennewick will spend $1.3 million to upgrade pickleball courts.” The other said, “Kennewick, Finley schools will cut millions after levies fail.”

This is an oxymoron that you never expected.

Tri-City children have been impacted by COVID and now they will be dealing with people who put amusement and fun before the intellectual needs of our children.

The people who made this decision should sit next to Joe Biden with a bottle of Enfamil in one hand and keys to your new electric car in the other while they smile for the photographer.

Tell me I got up on the wrong side of the bed.

Tell me I need to go back to bed.

Tell me it’s a bad dream.

I am flummoxed.

Where is the Wizard of Oz when you need him?

Lewis S. Rouse, Benton City

Young people need our protection

I am deeply saddened by my inability to protect young people from gun violence. On Saturday, June 11, I attended “March for Our Lives” at Howard Amon Park, where three students spoke very eloquently about the impact of mass shootings on their daily lives. It broke my heart and made me realize that I am at fault — that you are at fault — that we all are at fault. We are the ones who allowed things to get this bad.

We are the ones who permitted second amendment rights to usurp all others, who ignored the Constitution’s preamble principles: domestic tranquility; common welfare; common defense (not individual) and general welfare. We are the ones who let our laziness, timidity, ignorance — and fear of rational discussion — make us sit back and do nothing.

So next time there is a mass shooting, and you do not work for the passage of sensible gun legislation, or you don’t call or write your congressman, or you don’t contribute to groups working for sane gun policies, and you opt out of serious, but respectful, conversations about guns and violence in America, then you are to blame.

And if you do not believe me about the impact of violence on young people in the Tri-Cities, try to read copies of the three speeches given by high school students last Saturday. It will break your heart.

Nancy Kaushal, Richland

Americans drinking Trump Kool-Aid

As riveting as the congressional hearings regarding the events surrounding the January 6, 2021 riot on the U.S. Capitol are in illustrating Trump’s continual culpability in spreading the Big Lie of voter fraud, it is even more confounding that millions of Americans were snookered in and continue to drink the Trump Kool-Aid. Not only did these Americans do Trump’s bidding to a disastrous climax on January 6, but they contributed $250 million to his PAC which the hearings showed basically lined Trump’s pockets.

As a retired Human Resources Manager, I witnessed my share of unfathomable human behavior. To witness this same behavior from Trump and his enablers is not surprising. What is shocking is that those millions of Americans, including GOP U.S. Senators and Representatives, continue to align themselves to a known liar and a cheat.

Had Trump’s behavior occurred in a normal business setting, Human Resources would have ended his employment immediately. As to those in Congress who promote the Big Lie, in lieu of a good firing they need to be voted out of public service asap.

Fran Cooley, Eltopia

This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 10:59 AM.