Letters: Child Pike County survivors were not unharmed. Ohio Supreme Court puts 'P' in Petty

Letters to the Editor
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Nov 15, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor steps down from the Ohio Supreme Court on Dec. 31. Age limits in the Ohio Constitution prevented her from running again. She served in statewide elected office longer than any woman in state history.
Nov 15, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor steps down from the Ohio Supreme Court on Dec. 31. Age limits in the Ohio Constitution prevented her from running again. She served in statewide elected office longer than any woman in state history.

Ohio's high court puts the "P" in petty

New this year was the inclusion of a D or an R after the names of judicial candidates on the ballot.

More:Ohio Supreme Court justices squabble over where to hang Maureen O'Connor portrait

After reading Laura Bischoff's Dec. 6 article "Ohio Supreme Court splits over where chief's portrait should go," my conclusion is that the only letter that should follow any of their names is "P" for petty.

Chris Kloth, Bexley

What are your hopes and why?

NOTE FROM OPINION EDITOR AMELIA ROBINSON: The holiday season offers a time to reflect and hope. What are your wishes for Columbus, the region and Ohio? Let us know your thoughts in a letter to the editor of 200 words or less emailed to letters@dispatch.com.

Include your name, address and daytime phone number. The address and number are needed for verification and won't be published.

Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor

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State school board represents teachers, not students

I'm responding to Amelia Robinson's invitation to share thoughts on proposed changes to the structure of the Ohio Department of Education and the State Board of Education.

While I appreciate William L. Phillis’ summary of the history of Ohio’s K-12 system of education, I don’t agree that we should model our current structure on that which was deemed appropriate nearly seven decades ago — at a time in which the U.S. Constitution did not prohibit racial segregation in schools (prior to the 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education).

William L. Phillis is a former teacher, principal, superintendent, and assistant superintendent of public instruction. He is currently executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding.
William L. Phillis is a former teacher, principal, superintendent, and assistant superintendent of public instruction. He is currently executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding.

Both Jeanne Melvin and Phillis support a state board with all elected members rather than the current mix of elected and appointed.

Many people — with the exception of those who work in the education sector — know absolutely nothing about state board candidates other than what’s highlighted in campaign ads. Teachers’ unions encourage their members to vote for the candidates they endorse who often win their races.

As a result, many members of the State Board of Education represent the interests of teachers, rather than those of students.

Catherine West, Grove City

Columns spot on

The columns by Jeanne Melvin and William Phillis articulate very well the reasons and history why this bill should not be passed.

Add to their comments, experience also demonstrates the legislature’s inability to resolve school issues. My now nearly 40-year-old son was perhaps in first grade when the state of Ohio deemed that our method of funding public schools was unconstitutional- that issue has yet to be resolved.

Jeanne Melvin, Guest columnist
Jeanne Melvin, Guest columnist

Senate Bill 178 aligns with Frank LaRose’s attempt to remove power and responsibility from the citizens of Ohio with his plan for constitutional amendments.

Frank LaRose: There's no 'knife to the neck' of voters on constitutional changes

The single party supermajorities are heading Ohio down a treacherous path. Our governor who used to be able to legislate even-handedly is losing that ability.

Terri Lewandowski, Columbus

Love being replaced with bureaucracy

Throughout the Christian gospels, Jesus preached a message about God’s expansive loving community.

In Matthew 19, Jesus proclaims, ‘let the children come to me,’ because these kids understood that God’s love didn’t care about your religious standing, wealth, or societal norms.

Photos:Photos: "This Is Trans" project the product of Columbus photographer, activist

These kids just wanted to play and have fun. Sadly, there are lawmakers in Ohio that want to ban the right of kids to play as their authentic selves.

I am discouraged by legislative proposals such as House Bill 151 that deny our trans and non-binary youth the opportunity to play sports.

More:Ohio lawmakers scrap genital exams for transgender athletes, may require birth certificate

While many Ohio children play sports at some point growing up, most aren’t competing for state championships, records, or scholarships.

Kids join teams to be a part of a community and have fun. House Bill 151 replaces love with bureaucracy, it replaces compassion with big government.

We should welcome these children, because God already has.

Nick Bates, director of the Hunger Network in Ohio

Gun shows should be next

An man who declined to be identified walks through the Ohio Statehouse crowd during a peaceful Sunday, May 31, 2020 protest over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. He said he was carrying an AK-47 and it was loaded. He said he was not with any particular group.
An man who declined to be identified walks through the Ohio Statehouse crowd during a peaceful Sunday, May 31, 2020 protest over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. He said he was carrying an AK-47 and it was loaded. He said he was not with any particular group.

Hooray for Columbus City Council and Mayor Andrew Ginther.

Putting together an ordinance that will require safe storage of guns in homes, banning large capacity magazines, and making it illegal to “recklessly give, sell, or lend a firearm” to a person who shouldn’t have one.

Our view: 'Everyone has a gun.' State stymying Columbus' fight to protect people from guns

This is a great step forward to keeping felons and the mentally ill from easily obtaining guns.

Next big step: ban gun shows.

Fritz Monroe, Dublin

The kids were harmed

First, thank you for your coverage of the Pike County murders and the Wagner family.

There is one thing I have been reading that really bothers me, though: the consistent reference to the children at the scene having been “left unharmed.”

While no physical injuries were apparently found, that does not in any way mean these children were unharmed. How can any child, even a 5-day-old infant, witness the murder of his or her own parent(s) and not be harmed?

More:Pike County murders: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says he never lost faith justice would be done

Research on children and trauma indicates that while bystanders often say “They are so young, they will get over it," the impact of such a trauma on a small child is profound. Even the youngest infant undoubtedly has been impacted by what was witnessed — not to mention an entire life without the birth parent(s).

These children reportedly were not physically injured, but they were definitely harmed.

Susan H. Robinson, mental health counselor, Newark

We’ve made matters worse

Bill Gaure, maintenance worker on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, nears the top of the north tower after nearly a half-mile uphill hike from the center of the span, May 15, 1952. In the background at center, is a residential area of San Francisco, and at upper left is part of the Presidio. The bridge was built right where the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay meet. (AP Photo/Ernest K. Bennett)

I see that the Golden Gate Bridge is getting a $400 million dollar suicide net that in all likelihood will only move suicidal people to a different venue.

Sadly, this is a typical American put a Band-Aid on the symptom solution.

Spending the money on mental health care would actually save lives. Better yet, a comprehensive national healthcare plan that includes mental health screening, pre-natal care, dental, vision, hearing and prescriptions would bring manufacturing back to America, help small businesses and the self-employed and save us billions compared to our present healthcare expenses and stem the exponential increase in suicides and overdose deaths we are experiencing.

America currently ranks 33rd worldwide in infant mortality.

We have wasted literally multi-trillions of our dollars on the War on Drugs and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with absolutely nothing positive to show for any of it.

We’ve made matters worse.

Imagine what that money could have provided in healthcare.

Our senators and representatives should wear NASCAR style patches on their clothing so we know which war contractors insurance giants and pharmaceutical companies own them. They represent them not us.

Jay Smith, Columbus

Editorial cartoonist Jerry King's take on porch pirates.
Editorial cartoonist Jerry King's take on porch pirates.

Parole officers deserve support

The Dec. 1 article "Many wanted for parole violations in Ohio" was interesting reading.

What an embarrassment.

Caseload should not exceed 35 per parole officer. The job is not easy.

I was a New York State parole officer in the 70s. A state trooper told me he would not want to have my job. His reason was that all he had to do is arrest them but I had to live with them.

More:Franklin County's wanted parole violators include man convicted of harming child

In any event we made our own arrests carried a weapon and handcuffs. With the assistance of other parole officers and the community we did not lose many of our violators.

The key to our success was to be visible. Get to know the community and its surroundings.

Get involved and build trust. Neighbors do not want violators in the community and the community is your best source of getting the violators off the streets.

By the way, violators are only human and wish to be treated with dignity.

Doug MacKechnie, Pataskala

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: What are your hopes for Columbus and why?