Letters 12/21-12/28

Listen up morons. Yeah, I'm talking to you. First, let's talk four-way stops. They are simple. Pull up to the stop line. Wait your turn. Take your turn! Put down your phone. Quit texting. Yank your head out of your anal orifice. Everybody is expecting you to go when it is your turn. If you don't go, then everyone else has to decide who goes. Worse, you finally wake up when the other three have figured out you are an idiot, and go, then the intersection turns into a mess. Don't be nice. It is your turn. Go!

Now for traffic circles. These are also simple. You enter and go counter-clockwise. (That's to your right, morons. Believe it our not, last week I did see someone stop at the circle, and then turn left against the grain. Fortunately, no one was coming.) The whole key to this is that little stick that is on the left side of your steering column. It is called a turn signal. We see you coming. We assume, absent that little flashing light at the front of your car, that you are proceeding thru the circle. But, no, you go ahead and exit without signaling, thus disrupting a nice flow.

Wake up people. We are all in this together. Help the rest of us out. Do your job.

—Dan Cooper

It is not illegal to drop an F-bomb in public. It is not illegal to be a transient, "counter culture," or to reject societal norms. Panhandling is not illegal. "Negative behavior" and "disruptive" is code language for "bad for business."

One cannot in good faith "spend thousands of dollars to tell people to come to this beautiful downtown," and then complain about "undesirable" people that show up. If you build it, they will come. The transients have a First Amendment right to be there.

Drug dealing and indecent behavior ARE illegal: either a 24 hour police or security guard presence is required....which is probably not the business environment or cost solution the Business Association has in mind.

Meanwhile, what to do with the transient population? Replacing the parking lots and enclosures with more commercial buildings might make the transients move elsewhere...but they won't disappear. And neither will the social problems they bring with them: homelessness, substance abuse and bad behavior.

—Steve Thorp

In a recent piece in the NY Times, written by the Editorial Board (http://nyti.ms/2gFbIzF), it is noted that President-elect Trump has basically been installed by Russian involvement and manipulation of this election. Why is this partisan? Even to staunch right wingers this should signal a loud bell whistle. To patriots everywhere in this country who have fought to protect our democracy, this should instill concern and even fear. The Russians have been working on this strategy for years.

Putin, a product of the KGB, is ruthless in assassinations of detractors and obscuring a free press. This is what we have to look forward to. It isn't partisan, it is reality. Wake up. Even if you feel happy, empowered, strengthened and acknowledged by the election of your candidate, regardless of his apparent lack of intellectual curiosity (he doesn't need to participate in daily security briefings, cause he is "smart"), and his horrific gaffes towards China, (he did that on purpose cause he wants to make a "terrific bigly deal"), you cannot condone this apparent bloodless coup from an outside sovereign nation, that is the definition of treason. The only solution is for the Hamilton Electors to exercise the option of selecting a sane leader for the position of President of the United States. Select a sane Republican if you like, (if that exists, maybe Kasich), but do not install the Russian puppet. Trump's election is a fraud and his relationship as Putin's handmaiden, is evil, it undermines our democracy. The Founders saw this possibility and wrote into our system of government, safeguards, exercise them now if you really are an America. Do we really want to create Amerika?

—Jan Falk, MSW

After reading your recent article on racism and bullying spreading throughout schools in Central Oregon, we wanted to write to you about how Bend International School could act as a model to other schools, although we are a small school, we are one big community.

As students attending Bend International School we are taught to accept all differences not only from our parents but from our teachers. Our director Meera Rupp has an appreciation for all cultures and that makes an impact on every student here at BIS, she helps us understand that every person has the same simple needs: shelter, water, and food, after that we are all very different.

In school we learn math, language arts, and science just as every school would, but our subjects include music, Spanish, PE, library and P.B.L. (Project Based Learning). Some of these subjects other schools cut out of their system; these "extra" subjects can help the students express their interests. We understand that people have very strong opinions on this year's elections. The kids who are intimidating and bullying their schoolmates, feel that because of the results of the election that this type of behavior is acceptable.

Our school firmly believes that racism is not acceptable in any way. The system our school uses if students act disrespectfully to each other is called a "peace circle" where the students involved in a conflict will come together in a judgment free circle, where they can express how they feel without fear of being judged. The participants of the Peace Circle names remain confidential.

Racism, think about it, what is it? It's discriminating people because of their race, if so that should not be shown by anyone let alone children, the things they are saying should not of gone to the point that kids don't want to attend school. The Central Oregon your article is talking about is not the loving community of Bend we know and appreciate. It makes us sad to see people in our community are treating others this way.

We're proud to have a diverse student body and staff, which helps us appreciate our differences. In our community circles and safe learning environment, our minority students are speaking out. Many of these students have expressed that this is the first school that they have been to that they have not been discriminated against by both students and staff. This is shocking, but also awesome. Bend International School is making a difference!

—Lila Yee and Gwen Costello

BIS 6th grade students