opinion
6
THE HARBINGER
Hard to defend Bush to the editor
Letters
Senior Kyle Sciolaro can’t back the president
“Well, Saddam threatened us with weapons of mass While I respect your boldness in writing in defense of destruction.” No, no he did not. President Bush’s foreign policy initiatives, I find many of “I think a worse situation would be if the U.S. didn’t your claims ignorant and often offensive. For the sake of go into Iraq.” I think a worse situation would be if Bush brevity, I’ve chosen some that are particularly uninformed. continued to ignore the 43 million without healthcare in our “We are known for interfering for the best.” I’m not country. sure what your basis for this is, but I suggest you look into “President Bush had to make action in favor past occurrences in Grenada, Vietnam, Panama, Guatemala, Chile, and Cuba, and ask how they succeeded of the majority…” Those actions have, in being in anyone’s best interest. ...patriotism is excersicing “The U.S. is notorious for having a great in fact, stripped freedom of speech and minorities of their deal to do with other countries.” This is far questioning your from the truth. In fact, the U.S. is among civil liberties. This type of majority rule the stingiest when it comes to foreign aid, country’s descisions... ranking at the bottom with about .1% of has also yielded less than favorable results in the GDP. Additionally, when foreign aide is past years. This is not to mention the fact that only 19% of granted, it is generally highly selective, with Americans support the current unilateralist invasion. much going to Israel. “How can we disrupt peace if there is no peace?” If “Just because we haven’t found [WMD] doesn’t mean the Iraqi problem was violence, then using violence as a they’re not there.” Recent federal officials’ admissions solution seems counterintuitive. are predicting otherwise, and until convincing evidence is “…It’s becoming more difficult for Bush without his presented, it may be safe to say that Bush (and other right country behind him on this.” Public support, or lack wing pundits) have lied to the people. thereof, only marginally affects Bush’s stance on issues “People get mugged everyday by strangers in public (Gay marriages, No Child Left Behind, Nuclear Testing). with a gun in their pocket.” This is accurate, and probably In addition to that, the sheep are in line, and his strong a result of Bush’s lax gun policy and NRA backing.
Don’t forget to SHARE! Speaking for those of us who do SHARE projects and other community service for the sake of the service itself, I agree with the article that appeared in the last issue of the Harbinger. I run the Merriam Tutoring Program SHARE project and also volunteer as a small group leader at my church. Volunteer work should be about improving the lives of those in your community. We live in one of the most privileged areas of the country, and yet are less than ten miles away from Kansas City, a metropolitan in which many people are homeless and in need of help. Those of us who have been blessed with money and homes have a responsibility to assist those less fortunate than ourselves.
conservative support has hardly waned. “I bet they’ll thank us later.” This claim makes me sorry to be a SME student. “Who draws the line in saying what’s ethical?” Preferably not the first governor to proceed with an execution of a mentally retarded man. (Go Texas!) “…the president has been elected through popular vote.” I thought even Bush supporters had acknowledged that he DID NOT win the popular vote. “If the U.S. hadn’t stepped in [there] would have been virtually no Middle Easterners left.” Please reconsider this. “We need to be patriotic in this time of need.” Real patriotism is exercising freedom of speech and questioning your country’s decisions while better forming a participatory democracy- not affirming a one-party state. Sincerely, Kyle Sciolaro
Junior Robert Hipps agrees with article in issue 11
To be perfectly honest, how many East of students like us. kids would continue to perform community Without the SHARE projects that we service if not for the added benefit of awards support and other organizations like them, such as NHS and Presidential Service? I thousands of people would go without food, fear that the shelter, or clothing. Most answer is not of the people that we Everytime you go out to many. I fear support have done that we forget nothing to deserve or perform volunteer work, about what provoke the situation you touch the life of life is like that they are currently in. someone... outside the Many of them could be sheltered constructive members of confines society if they were only of Johnson County. While doing commugiven a chance. nity service around Kansas City, I have met The fate of these people could be our many different people who have had their own if not for a the grace of God or luck or lives greatly affected by the volunteer efforts fate or whatever you choose to believe it
Agree? Disagree? The Harbinger welcomes reader letters Send them to Alex Abnos, Editor-in-Chief, in Room 521 or e-mail them to us at smeharbie@hotmail.com Letters must be signed and may be edited for length and clarity. Please provide any contact information with your letter. Publishing of letters is up for the editor’s discretion.
is. We must help these people who have fallen, as who knows when we may need the same? Every time you go out to perform volunteer work, you touch the life of someone, and that is a greater reward in and of itself than anything that can be obtained through NHS or the Presidential Service Award. Robert Hipps Junior
Praise for “Hawa’s Journey” Journalism teacher credits courageous student “Hawa’s Journey.” What a poignant, yet inspiring piece reporter Ross Boomer authored in the Jan. 26, Harbinger. As a journalism teacher with more than 20 years of experience at the secondary and collegian levels, I have seen fewstories that can rival Boomer’s use of understated, yet powerful style. Indeed he let the story tell itself -- and what a story. Boomer’s work not only demonstrates courage and a keen eye for human interest, but also reflects an
optimum level of trust from his sources. Indeed, the true test of strong work is in the aftermath; is this subject someone the reader would wish to meet? Hawa Whalen qualifies. What a gift to a student body she is. Congratulations to the writers and to the editorial staff of Harbinger for delivering her story so professionally. --Dean Hume Journalism teacher, Lakota East High School