Letters to the Editor: It's unconscionable that Gibbs endorses aide's behavior

It's unconscionable that Gibbs endorses aide's behavior

We, the undersigned, represent The Arc Advocacy & Resource Center of Ottawa County, which advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

It was recently announced that Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs hired 23-year-old Jordan Epperson to fill the position of senior executive aide. A review of Mr. Epperson’s past social media posts revealed vulgar, misogynistic, xenophobic and racist language. (His X account, formerly Twitter, has since been deleted.) We are very concerned that Mr. Epperson also used the "R-word." He used the word “retarded” a couple of times, as an insult. The use of this word is unacceptable. It's dehumanizing and offensive to people with IDD, their families and advocates. We find it absolutely unconscionable that anyone who is being considered for a leadership position would believe it is OK to use that word as Mr. Epperson did.

In 2014, both houses in the Michigan Legislature voted to remove the word “retarded” from state laws. The movement to remove the "R-word" from all official documents throughout the United States began in 2009. Words matter and people with IDD deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

The Arc of the United States and its allies across the disability community have worked hard to put an end to the R-word and bring awareness to the painful history of exclusion behind the word. It has no place in our society and it is shameful to hear it is still being used by anyone, let alone a prominent county employee.

Peggy Fakler

Executive Director, The Arc Advocacy & Resource Center of Ottawa County

Donna Wehrmeyer, board member

Ron Wolthuis, board member

I am thankful for Holland’s Neighborhood Associations

In recent weeks, the Eastcore Neighbors Association hosted a mural festival that drew artists from near and far, celebrated art and music, and spread beauty all around.

The Westcore Neighbors Association held a neighborhood cleanup “dumpster day” on Aug. 12, emptying garages and basements and sending worn-out items to the dump, metals to the recycler, and reusable items to the Gateway mission.

Holland’s city government subsidizes these associations. Good job, city! This cooperation forms the foundation of the fabulous fabric of life that knits together the wonderful community of diversity, equity and inclusion where we get to live. We can, and should, celebrate with joy.

David Alexander

Holland

Stop voting for Republicans stance is flawed

Mr. Kamischke, everything you have claimed in your letter is totally incorrect! My guess is you get your info from mainstream media, without fact-checking.

More: Letter to the Editor: Stop voting for Republicans

Ron DeSantis does not believe slavery provided job training opportunities. He has addressed this misinformation many times. FOX News never admitted that their hosts repeatedly lie. Your COVID-19 info is incorrect and outdated.

Mary Scholten

Allegan

Speech impediments of a different variety

Several speech impediments present some interesting communication challenges. The first deficiency is a volume impediment. The speaking knob is turned up on high volume at 8-10 producing a loud response.

The second speech problem area is the dangling speech impediment which occurs when the mind finishes a sentence before the mouth has completed the thought. The sentence just drops off without …

The third impediment operates in reverse. It is the hanging speech impediment. A thought occurring in the mind suddenly bursts out in spoken form mid-thought. Hearers often wonder, “Where did that come from?”

Most people cannot interpret how an intersecting sentence fits into the communication puzzle when partial phrases suddenly drop into a conversation.

Speed wording often creates new word mixes whose menu includes a combination of two or three words stirred together in the communication pot. One I have invented are "smooth over" and "stop yeouting." Word delicacies of this fourth impediment cause people to say in disbelief, “It doesn’t taste like a real word.”

The fifth speech impediment is mispronunciation. Symphony becomes sympathy. Is it creek or crick? Trying to clearly enunciate difficult wordings only draws attention to deficiencies in this area.

The sixth impediment is interruption. We may interrupt by finishing someone else’s sentence assuming we already know what direction their idea is heading.

Another reason for this problem is making a judgment on an idea before hearing the completed presentation. We are smudging the conversational paint before allowing it to dry on our brain

“A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.” (Proverbs 16:23)

Awareness of a problem is half the battle in moving toward a positive change. I will intentionally begin to eliminate my speech impediments.

Keith J. Welch

Holland

How can anyone still support Trump?

Hopelessness. I am feeling more and more of this as I see and hear from individuals both in and out of politics and leadership. These individuals continue to support the most recent ex-president in his quest to be the Republican nominee and even his re-election in November 2024.

I do not want to feel hopeless, but I struggle to believe when I hear his supporters speak, that the voting public will reject him. Yet, I keep hope alive. What have we come to when a person with multiple criminal indictments, daily verbal attacks that reveal a mean, vindictive and emotionally challenged personality, along with clearly anti-democratic and authoritarian plans, can hold the support of over 70% of the Republican electorate?

Electing this clearly flawed man would be the equivalent of supporting the destruction of over 200 years of democratic development that has led to the creation of history’s greatest and oldest system of representative government.

I ask his supporters: Would you allow this man to hold a position of leadership in your church such a teacher, elder, deacon or even pastor? If not, why would you trust him with the nation’s and world’s future? Would you allow him to teach in your elementary schools or even the secondary ones? Would he have the interests of your child and the other children as his first concern, or would it be his own power and profitability? Could you trust him as an employee of your business to seek the interest of the business?

You more likely would find him interested only in his own advancement at whatever the cost to you and your business just as he as done to the U.S., the Republican Party and the nation’s social and cultural network. He has led the party and his supporters on a journey comprised of anger, resentment, hatred, violence and duplicity that will stain this nation for a decade or more — even if he fails to achieve his goal of regaining the presidency.

I hope his supporters will look deeply into their own hearts and see that anger, resentment, hatred, etc., are destroying them as well as the U.S. and all its citizenry. Finally and most disturbing is the recent revelation of a “messiah complex” where he, the humble servant, the sacrificial lamb is being persecuted for you his supporters. He mouths this while he milks you for millions of dollars used to pay his legal expenses while letting his supposed billions remain unused.

He is no messiah. He is a snake oil salesman selling TRUMP TONIC, an elixir that supposedly will cure all your ills, but in reality, will do nothing for you while enriching him and feeding his unappeasable ego.

Rich Herbig

Hamilton

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Letters: It's unconscionable that Gibbs endorses aide's behavior