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Bishop Bonnar's response just missed the point
DEAR EDITOR:
I get the sense that Bishop David J. Bonnar didn't like the imagery or content of the Muccio editorial cartoon. Too bad. It was spot on.
Tombstones are appropriate symbolism for churches and parishes that have been shuttered as part of an obviously failing plan to save the Catholic presence in the Youngstown Diocese.
Rationalizing with platitudes or one-sided debating points won't keep people in the pews or bring disheartened Catholics back. St. James' grave marker belongs in the middle of the cartoon. It stands as an immediate and glaring example of the shortcomings of the Bonnar plan.
The Presbytery Council, the Bishop's advisory, refuses to invite stakeholders to their table.
That is sad and detrimental to the image of an encompassing spiritual cornerstone. As a Catholic who has been outspoken about the closing of St. James, I'd advise Bishop Bonnar to toughen up, accept the messages you're getting, and accommodate the stakeholders before another mistake is made.
JOHN VOGEL
MIneral Ridge
Amy Action still owes Ohioans an apology
DEAR EDITOR:
After the incident involving Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair, I had to reflect a bit on my own experiences with her back in 2020 -- because of her "stay at home" directives, my dad had to die alone in his hospital room and we were told by the hospital that we could only say our goodbyes over the telephone.
Of the truly terrible days in my life, that may have been one of the worst. As it happened, he passed on April 1, and we were the fools that day. We were not given the courtesy of having a proper funeral that everyone else has had before 2020 and since the COVID years ended.
Per Amy Acton's directives, gatherings of any kind were disallowed. All my family could do was stay at home and live with my dad's passing because there was nothing else anyone was allowed to do. People forget what that time was like, but it is seared into my memory.
This story is only one of thousands in Ohio. In addition to these end-of-life situations that have caused heartbreak for countless Ohio citizens, an immeasurable amount of small businesses shuttered their doors. Ridiculous rules on social distancing carried on for well over a year, and kids' social development was hindered behind stringent mask mandates that at best would be considered a placebo to calm the masses. Ohio may still not have fully recovered from some of these decisions.
Mike DeWine will claim responsibility -- I guess a good boss will do that when an employee messes up. But he is no more a doctor than I am. He's just a guy relying on people he thought were smarter than him to fix a problem he didn't know how to fix. Unfortunately, Amy Acton was not that person, and it cost a lot of people a lot they will never get back.
I like to think my dad deserved better than the end he got. DeWine may have had the final say, but Acton's recommendations were asinine from the start and did more harm than good. She owes my family an apology for denying the most basic human courtesy. Maybe I'll forgive her someday, but it will be a long time.
ALEX MANGIE
Canfield
Like Pete Seeger's bunnies, Americans shall overcome
DEAR EDITOR:
In times of strife, to such a time as this, we must unite people, we must unite. This November election is the target date. Ohio's status quo must be broken. Republican rule has beaten us down.
We need a new party government for Ohio. We see what happened to women's rights in Ohio, with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022. Republicans and Democrats must come together to break this chain.
We shall overcome, we must unite. I picked this from my reading of a story by Pete Seger, a freedom fighter that gave voice to championing the working class. A story about two rabbits chased by hounds. They ran until they couldn't stand it anymore. Finally, they holed up in a hollow log. The hounds bailed, but the little rabbits nestled inside, out of reach. The boy rabbit turned to the girl rabbit. "What do we do now?"
"Stay here til we outnumber them," she answered.
We shall overcome.
PAUL LAWSON
McDonald
Congratulations and thank you to Niles teachers
DEAR EDITOR:
Great news about testing success for students of the Niles City Schools and thank you to the outstanding Niles teachers whose dedic ated work fostered this achievement.
Committed public servants who contribute to our communities deserve our gratitude and recognition. I remember the great teachers I had at Niles McKinley (Class of '65). Let me name a few: Albert Moritz, Jack Ryan, Mel Frank, Connie Stevens, Richard Bullock, and from junior high, Paul Demont, Selena Dyess, and more.
PAUL SHAKER
Professor Emeritus
Simon Fraser University
Benaby, BC Canada
Blueprint of a crooked and broken system
DEAR EDITOR:
Yeah, the system is crooked as hell. It's got a spine more twisted than a horror movie villain. We have leaders pulling off outright sinister moves, yet when an ordinary citizen stumbles with drugs or alcohol, the system locks them away and throws away the key.
That conviction becomes a permanent shadow -- killing job prospects, destroying futures, and trapping people in a vicious cycle.
Meanwhile, politicians get busted for the exact same substance abuse and still slide right back into office. Society wonders why the crime rate keeps climbing, but just look at who is setting the example. Turn on the news and it's a constant loop: a pro athlete caught gambling, a politician caught stealing millions. When the role models are corrupt, the whole foundation cracks. It's a rigged game, and it's only going downhill from here.
So watch your back. Even if you haven't been directly in the government's crosshairs yet, the ricochets are tearing through the air 24/7. It's only a matter of time.
NICK ALEXANDER
Niles
Letter was unfair to Warren councilwoman
DEAR EDITOR:
In response to an Aug. 22 letter. in which a writer dismissed 6th Ward Councilwoman Honeya Price's "Trash Buster" program as a public relations stunt:
While I had no direct involvement, I was a close observer of Ms. Price's efforts to organize, fund, and execute this program.
With the help of volunteer Holly Taylor, Ms. Price developed the idea, successfully raised private funding, coordinated her efforts with several city departments so as to maximize efficiency and recruited both volunteers and local youth who were paid for their work. The program has made a highly visible difference in the appearance of the neighborhood, and has also lead to the creation of a program to recognize local home-owner beautification.
Councilwoman Price devoted many hours to this effort, including more than a few engaged in sustained physical labor. She leads by example.
The letter suggests there is some shame in using AI in a professional effort such as Trash Busters. I don't know if Ms. Price used AI, but I read her proposals and grant applications, and I can tell you two things: they were well written, and they were successful. If she used AI to help accomplish her goals, she is to be congratulated for working smart.
Councilwoman Price represents exactly what we should seek in an elected official: someone who works both hard and smart, who effectively marshals resources from the entire community, and sees a program through to completion, bettering her ward and the entire city of Warren in the process.
DENNIS BLANK
Warren
U.S. should condemn killings in Lebanon
DEAR EDITOR:
Today's news in The Vindicator covered a story about Israeli airstrikes killing many in Lebanon including children and a paramedic with the Lebanese Islamic Risala Scout Association amongst those killed.
The United States should speak out and condemn these attacks. They will never bring peace to the Middle East with such attacks. Just like sending envoys to waste time talking to Putin.
HAROLD WILSON
Austintown