Another side of the story

Another side of the story

EDITOR:

This letter is in response to the Sept. 15 letter, “Media paint one-sided picture of Tom Kemp.”

How nice that Thomas Kemp has called his wife every day for the past 20 years to say how terrible he feels about murdering my brother, Tom Beno. Tom Kemp has never, ever tried to contact the Beno family — either through his attorney, through the Victim’s Services in Columbus or through the prosecutor’s office in Youngstown. He has had plenty of time to write a letter or make a statement regarding his remorse and he has not done so. In addition, any number of times Kemp’s wife or stepdaughter have been in my presence in court or at hearings, they have never, ever tried to approach me or my family to convey any kind of message from Kemp or to reach out in any way.

I also find it interesting that someone that was a childhood friend of Tom Kemp and has stated that he has had no contact with Kemp in the past 20 years can make the statement that “negative and erroneous things have been said about Mr. Kemp.” I would like to know where the letter writer got his fact. He stated that he could “see no point in the public writing letters and the parole board considering letters from people who knew neither Mr. Kemp nor Mr. Beno.” The Beno family has requested that those who knew and respected my brother send letters to oppose Tom Kemp’s parole. This is part of the process and totally appropriate. My brother knew a lot of people in Youngstown/Boardman and had a lot of friends including, at one time, Tom Kemp. Anyone who knew my brother certainly knows Tom Kemp.

Just because someone does not have a police record does not mean that they are not a menace to society. Tom Kemp took my brother’s life in a violent and horrific manner. During the four hours that Kemp held my brother hostage at gunpoint, he had plenty of time to think about making the right decision, but he did not. I hope and pray that the parole board will once again look at all of the facts of this case and deny parole to Tom Kemp, who should never be given the privilege of returning to society. So again, I am asking all those who knew my brother to take a few minutes and send a letter to the parole board as requested by the Beno family.

KAREN BENO WILLIAMS

Newnan, Ga.

Too big of a giveaway

EDITOR:

I am writing to express my discontent with the current proposal to give President George Bush and his treasury secretary a multi-billion dollar bailout package for major financial institutions without provisions for broad Congressional oversight.

I believe it is simply unwise for both Democrats and Republicans in both the Senate and House to give consent to such a deal without stipulations for broad Congressional oversight and significant protection for consumers. We simply cannot let Bush take our democracy further down the drain by giving him what amounts to further dictatorial powers. He lied to us about his reasons for wanting to invade Iraq and look at the major foreign policy quagmire that we are in.

Both Republican and Democrat members of Congress were suckered in by his lies about Iraq. Likewise, both Republicans and Democrats were suckered in by scare tactics about the need for wiretapping American citizens.

Enough is enough! In the future, I cannot vote for anyone, Democrat or Republican, or Independent (if there is such person) who legislates extraordinary powers for President Bush without provisions for broad Congressional oversight. I demand it for the sake of our precious freedom and democracy, and I have written to Congressman Tim Ryan, and senators Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich to say so.

LEON STENNIS

Youngstown