Victim's family can never forget brutal murder

Victim's family can never forget brutal murder
EDITOR:
We are the grandparents of Shannon Kos who was murdered in Lawrence County last Oct. 8. We have not given a statement to the news media because we felt the case was being well taken care of.
At this time, we would like to thank the Youngstown police, the underwater recovery team, Struthers police, Poland, the FBI and anyone else who helped in this case in Ohio. We would especially like to thank Lawrence County District Attorney Matthew Mangino, the troopers, detectives and all who worked around the clock to solve this case and who are still working on it.
Thanks to the woman from the Lawrence County Rape Crisis Center for being so nice to our daughter. We feel that they are doing an excellent job on our daughter's behalf for Shannon.
As to the three men involved in this, our family would like to say this:
Shannon was the victim, not them. She will never come back, and to us it seems like the victim is pushed back and these men are in the limelight. What they did to Shannon was inexcusable.
My daughter had to go and identify this child. Do they think for one moment that she will ever forget what she saw had been done to her? We couldn't even show her at the funeral home.
These men had the same opportunity that we all have had. These three men had choices to make in their lives and they chose to murder our granddaughter and my daughter's only child. Shannon's father was in a coma when she was born. We took this three-day-old baby to see her father who had been comatose for two months, hoping it would bring him out of the coma. But he remained in a coma for seven more months before he died. That was my daughter's first tra--gedy. To lose her only child, the second.
Do you think our family is going to feel sorry for these men? Any one of these three men could have stopped this from happening but they chose not to.
What was even worse was their going back the next day, to pour gasoline on her and set her on fire. How inhuman can this be? My daughter will never forget or forgive any of them and neither will the family.
We, the family, are sick of seeing Mr. Monday's picture on the television and in the newspaper. He wants people to feel sorry for him. Our granddaughter was the victim. Let's not forget that. Think about what she went through her last few minutes of her life. They are still alive. She isn't.
MR. and MRS. FRED STRUBLE
Poland
17th District Dems will consider endorsements
EDITOR:
As president of the Democrats of the 17th District, I would like to respond to Mr. de Souza's column of last Sunday in which he states that our organization has pressured David Ditzler, the Democratic Party chairman, to re-institute the endorsement policy. That simply is not true.
The Democrats of the 17th District has never even discussed whether the Mahoning County Democratic Party should endorse, let alone issued a statement or resolution to that effect. When asked by a Vindicator reporter whether I was in favor of endorsements, I made it very clear that I personally favored them, and I am a precinct committeeman, but that the 17th District has never considered the matter. Nothing has been said on any level that could be construed as pressure.
Moreover, Mr. de Souza's tiresome habit of dividing Democrats into Hanni and Morley factions is either intellectual laziness or purposeful to an end that is not obviously apparent. The Democrats of the 17th District was created to effectuate reform, to endorse competent Democrats for office and to move away from that artificial stereotyping which leads to divisive politics.
We thought there was a third way, if you will. The phenomenal growth of our organization to more than 300 members in two years is evidence that many activists in the community agree with us and see our role in that perspective.
Finally, there was never any mention by Mr. Carano, the party elections committee chairman, that the party would reconsider the harsh provision noted in Mr. de Souza's column. Mr. Carano made it clear in previous discussions that the party would not be returning to the old policies but would form a committee to reconsider the matter. The scare tactic employed by Mr. de Souza of a return to those evil days gone by will hopefully be disregarded by the precinct committee people. I am confident that the issue will receive a thoughtful airing and a decision made on that basis.
MARK BELINKY
Youngstown
Mahoning River can be saved with residents' help
EDITOR:
The federal grant to clean up the Mahoning River has been awarded to this area, but we need the help of Valley residents. This "stream-of-life" entranced our forefathers, cooled our steel, and provided our industries with water. Now it is our turn to repay this river and restore its grandeur.
The research has been completed (Phase I). To take this project to the next phase, we need to raise $1.5 million. Half of this amount needs to be in cash and half in future commitments.
The Army Corps of Engineers has the plan but needs to see public support. Please join us in our efforts to support this project.
DOUGLAS M. BOUSLOUGH
Youngstown
DIANE T. DICARLO-MURPHY
Canfield
X An additional 42 people signed this letter.
Florida's Harris was right
EDITOR:
I certainly hope that the readers of "The People's Paper" are able to understand the gyrations of the Miami Herald as referenced on the front page of the Feb. 26, Vindicator. (Review upholds Bush's victory).
As I see it, Florida's Secretary of State Katherine Harris followed the rule of law in certifying the results of last November's election. The nation would not have had to endure the "weeks of indecision and political warfare" the Al Gore people forced upon us all if they would have done the same.
TOM ELLIS
Salem