War re-enactment demands a certain sense of decorum

War re-enactment demands a certain sense of decorum
EDITOR:
The weekend of Memorial Day, my grandsons from Chicago and I attended the Civil War encampment and re-enactment at Burton's Century Village.
Needless to say my young grandsons were thrilled to be able to talk to Union and Confederate soldiers. The battle by the re-enactors included field artillery and soldiers firing blanks from the rifles. As a volley of cannons were fired by the South, several Union soldiers fell mortally wounded. The battle was very realistic. When this occurred, several people in the crowd broke out in laughter.
What is happening to our society, when one can laugh at the consequences of war? America suffered a terrible loss of casualties during the Civil War, more than all the other wars our nation has fought in combined.
I realize this was merely a re-enactment, but we as Americans need to realize that good men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom's we have. It is much more than a laughing matter!
I only hope my grandsons came away from that day with memories of the realization of war and the price paid, instead of the laughter of a few ignorant people!
RODGER CRITES
Warren
McDonald police uphold law in removing garage signs
EDITOR:
I wish to address this to a village resident whose letter appeared in The Vindicator last Sunday. In your letter, sir, you questioned why the McDonald taxpayers' money is being wasted on police officers pulling signs, namely garage sale signs, from the devil strips and throwing them into their cars? You also stated that if that's all we, as a police department have to do, then perhaps officers should be laid off instead of wasting taxpayers' dollars.
I apologize that although you, sir, have lived in our town for, as you stated, 30 years, you have no prior knowledge of our police department taking such action. There is an ordinance that village council enacted some years ago addressing this matter. McDonald Village Codified Ordinance 1325.03(b) reads as followed "No signs shall extend over a sidewalk or other public way, nor be placed in the Village rights of way, including devil strips, and this shall include all home improvement, for sale or lease, political campaign signs and garage sale signs".
My officers were indeed doing the job expected of them by village council and our residents. We, as a police department, do not make the laws, but we are sworn to uphold the law regardless of whom we offend or upset. We don't always enjoy our jobs, and I know there's always room for improvement. But, please, take the time to check the laws before criticizing my officers.
LOU M. RONGHI, chief
McDonald Village Police Department
Grandparents need rights
EDITOR:
I am writing to urge all grandparents to contact their local and state representatives requesting the passage of a bill for Grandparent Visitation Rights. The passage of this bill is very important to us all.
For example, without this bill, if by chance your son or daughter should die, the surviving parent would have custody of their children. It would now become their choice, if they chose for you as grandparents, to see or even have any contact with your own grandchildren.
Therefore, this could put you in jeopardy of never seeing them, hear their voices, or to even share in their special moments. How sad!
I urge you now, before it happens to someone else, Please write those letters!
MARY E. MAGUIRE
Wheeling, W.Va.
Year after year, Youngstown schools release employee
EDITOR:
My husband is a substitute educational assistant in the Youngstown City schools. He has been in that capacity for the last three years. As of June 6, he'll no longer have employment because he doesn't have a contract. We have three small children at home, and every time school lets out, he has to scramble for employment in the summer for us to make ends meet.
All vacation/sick time he accumulated ends when school is out and when he's called back, he has to work 60 or more consecutive days to be eligible for sick/vacation time.
If the board of education can afford to have new schools built, why can't my husband get a contract? He's been recommended each year for a permanent position and hasn't received any. He would like to stay at the school where he worked this year. He's an asset to them by tutoring students for proficiency tests, but no one wants to put it in writing and make it permanent.
My husband and I both graduated from Youngstown city schools. The board of education claims that it wants educated African-Americans to stay in the area and work in the public schools. Hopefully someone from the board of education will read this article and do something about it.
M. ELIZABETH WILSON
Youngstown
Youngstown's charter review should inspire bold action
EDITOR:
As a Youngstown resident and voter, I believe the Youngstown Charter Review Commission should not just nit-pick and tinker around with the city charter and just only suggest small, political and minor changes to the members of Youngstown City Council for the ballot and city voters.
I believe the Youngstown City Charter needs and that the City Charter Review Commission should candidly suggest to city council very radical, bold, efficient, and sensible changes to the Youngstown City Charter to bring it more up to date with other communities in the Mahoning Valley.
I as a city resident and voter strongly urge the Youngstown Charter Review Commission to suggest making the law director, finance director, and city prosecutor elected positions in Youngstown; as well as radically changing Youngstown City Council to include not only seven ward council members, but also adding three or four at-large council seats to the City of Youngstown.
I believe the residents and voters of the City of Youngstown believe such radical and bold changes and new ideas to the city charter are long overdue and are indeed needed now for Youngstown relevant future.
WILLIE JAMES RICHARDS
Youngstown
Cal and Cheney assert much but show proof for little of it
EDITOR:
Columnist Cal Thomas and Vice-President Cheney are perpetuating or starting myths about our war with Iraq (Vindicator, June 1).
Thomas now claims our invasion was for humanitarian reasons with nary a mention of an imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or of a connection to terrorism which were the given reasons for the war. Neither WMDs or a terrorism connection has been found. (If we are such humanitarians, we should send a couple of divisions to the Congo where some real killing is going on.)
Cheney claims, & quot;the battle of Iraq was a major victory in the war on terrorism." Again, not proven; some even surmise it has made it worse.
We must be careful with what we read and hear. The constant repetition of something will not make it true. Please, in the future, don't repeat these arguments without some serious qualifications.
KEN SMITH
Salem