In due time, all the questions will be answered about the death of a Liberty woman

In due time, all the questions will be answered about the death of a Liberty woman

EDITOR:

I feel The Vindicator’s recent criticism of Liberty Township officials is unwarranted. Make no mistake, I feel much grief and sorrow for the family and friends of Mary Rush. This tragic event is one no family should have to endure, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them.

To criticize the township officials for their reactionary time however, is not fair and is irrational journalism. You stated that for two days township officials discussed the existence or absence of protocols that may or may not have governed how the police responded. Do you really believe that that is what we discussed for two days? More likely that is what reporters asked of us for two days.

It also was stated in your May 2 editorial that we should have publicly asked why the officers did not get out of their cruisers and search the area. How do you do that? Put them in front of a camera or reporter and ask? Call a public meeting and do the same? Of course we have the same question and want answers and will get them during an investigation of the incident, but if I have learned anything in my 10-plus years in office, it is to gather all the facts before you pass judgment.

What exactly did the caller say, did she direct them to the correct area, or send them on the street behind her house? Did she alert them of her neighbor’s condition and past mishaps at her home that they and other neighbor’s were aware of? Did the dispatcher pass the correct information on to the responding officers? Did he do it with any sense of urgency or was it passive? Did they stop at all? Just because they did not stop in front of the caller’s viewpoint did not mean they did not stop at all. And most importantly why didn’t they get out of the vehicle?

This incident will be thoroughly investigated with much urgency and results will be made public as soon as possible, but proper steps must be taken. The officers involved here have impeccable records and have never given us reason for concern of their job performance in the past. Making hasty decisions at this point could be counter productive. Many questions need asked and answered before this is over to assure something like this never happens again, and we will make every effort to do that.

JACK SIMON, vice chairman

Liberty Township Board of Trustees

Carter is true Christian

EDITOR:

What is that drives Jimmy Carter to do what he does? Read Matthew 5.3-12, especially verse 9.

No, these were not placed in the Bible in the last 50 years by “soft hearted liberals,” as some conservative columnists and editors seem to believe, since they are one of the most inconvenient parts of scripture.

I do not think Hamas can be trusted, but who in the Mideast can?

Mr. Carter is one of those extremely rare persons, a real Christian — and nobody knows how to deal with that. Whether he is right or wrong, it is something other than the methods pursued by everyone else, methods that have failed repeatedly for 5,000 years and beyond. Cal Thomas et al are the ones that “don’t get it.”

Mr. Carter was very wrong to try to deal with Hamas, but he would have also been very wrong to not try. That is the real dilemma.

JEROME K. STEPHENS

Warren