Let’s prevent bullying, concerns with Sen. Patty Murray among Tri-City Herald letters
October good time to fight bullying
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, meaning it is a perfect time to polish up our knowledge on this topic. Bullying is defined as a deliberate and repeated action that is unwanted and creates a hostile environment for an individual. Whether it is happening online or face to face, bullying can have a long-term impact on someone. In fact, students who experience bullying are at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement and dropping out of school, according to the CDC.
PSA for parents: Talk to your child and remind them that you are someone they can speak to when they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
For anyone who has experienced or is experiencing bullying: Remember to talk to someone about the incidents and keep notes of them. Do not be afraid to report and seek help. No one deserves to be in an environment that is unsafe.
The Support, Advocacy & Resource Center is here to help! We have a 24-hour crisis line that is staffed with trained advocates/ professionals who can guide you through necessary steps in order to begin the healing journey.
If you would like more information on bullying or further support, please call SARC at 509-374-5391.
Marisol Cervantes, Kennewick
Murray not on his list of favorites
It’s amazing how our Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is now on the side of law enforcement. I don’t recall hearing her criticism of the riots in Seattle or any of the other “peaceful protests.” Suddenly at election time, she has become our savior.
She, along with Rep. Kim Schrier, is taking on the big oil companies, again this season, to fight big profits. There are at least seven federal agencies that regulate the oil industry and a myriad of regulations. Some environmental regulations and monitoring are required but controlling the flow of oil to refineries affects supply and that impacts the price.
After the Roe v Wade decision, she was appalled! Several former Supreme Court justices, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, warned that the decision was poorly written.
All the posturing about Medicare is preelection jaw flapping. She accused her opponent of siding with Mitch McConnell regarding a Medicare cost increase without mentioning the pork fat that was attached to the bill.
Dave Thompson, Kennewick
Will we eliminate our own species?
Though we can stuff Earth’s atmosphere with greenhouse gases so we and future humans can enjoy the climate changes that result, the good news is that humans lack the capacity to destroy all life on earth. So stop worrying about that. Assuming you care, which if your main aim is to get off the planet and on your way to heaven, you probably don’t. Too many species of bacteria buried in the earth and the oceans are able to survive and thrive in environmental conditions that are fatal for us. So there.
The bad news is that we are quite capable of destroying ourselves. Humans are the only surviving member of the “man” group of species, and another more highly evolved Homo species seems unlikely given our willingness to kill each other for whatever. We insist on seeing ourselves as separate from nature with a god-given right to take whatever we want from the planet; the Bible tells me so. Besides, we are going to colonize other planets when we’ve made this one uninhabitable for ourselves. Elon Musk says we will live on Mars after we’ve ‘terra’-formed it so it looks just like the planet we decimated. How’s that for irony.
Edward Rykiel, Richland