The Editor:
In an article in the November 9-15 issue of The Northern Light entitled Veterans group forms in Birch Bay, Ms. Fahrenkrug states that she feels there is a lack of resources available to veterans in Whatcom County. This is gravely incorrect.
Bellingham has a federal Veterans Affairs (VA) center, which provides counseling for war veterans and their families. There are four counselors and six VA accredited service officers to help veterans file their claims.
The center provides individual, group, family and female counseling and other group activities six days a week. The county has a veterans assistance office to help veterans and there is a volunteer group called the Whatcom County Veteran’s Navigators that regularly travel around the rural areas of the county to help veterans apply for their VA benefits.
Whatcom County is one of the better equipped counties to handle veteran issues in Washington state. We take great pride in providing excellent care for the veterans who live in Whatcom County.
Jim and Virginia Pace
Birch Bay
The Editor:
Are we certain that the proliferation of gun violence in the United States is a direct result of our gun laws? It is a common logical fallacy to equate correlation with causation.
In an interview in the special features section of the MGM DVD “Goldfinger,” director Guy Hamilton talks about the difficulties he faced while trying to get his 1964 James Bond masterpiece past censors: “The censor was a big pain around this time, in two completely different areas. The Americans … we had to get “PG,” or “U” for the United Kingdom, because all the kids go to see Bond … the American censor absolutely constipated about sex, the British censor couldn’t have cared less about that; the British censor panic stricken about violence, and the American censor totally indifferent
to violence.”
I have seen no reversal of this trend in the intervening years. If anything, the movies and television programs that we in America let our children watch today make the original James Bond movies look tame by comparison. Could it not be that we have got the cause and effect reversed? Might it not be possible that it is our encouragement of violence as a means of resolving difficulties in this country that results in the proliferation of firearms that we see, instead of the other way around?
After all, as soon as our children are old enough to watch television they are constantly bombarded by images of people and cartoon characters committing mayhem upon one another. We grow up accepting the “fact” that violence is just another way of life, no more uncommon than texting a friend or ordering a latte from Starbucks. Can we realistically expect to resolve this sad situation simply by taking everyone’s guns away?
So what is the real problem here? Guns or violence? I have yet to see a gun commit violence all by itself! Perhaps we should address our propensity for using violence as a means to an end before we arbitrarily place all the blame on what are, after all, only our tools.
Jeff Sterling
Birch Bay
The Editor:
We want to thank Blaine and Birch Bay residents for their overwhelming support of the Blaine Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 (BBBPRD2) levy. There will be a huge return on our investment in the next six years as the BBBPRD2 continues to offer a myriad of experiences, activities and new programs for our community.
Communities that value park and recreation are investing in the future by creating opportunities for experiencing purpose, pleasure, health and well-being. There are an almost unlimited number of benefits associated with park and recreation programs.
They create opportunities to live, learn, experience new activities and interact with families, friends and neighbors. They enhance the desirability of an area as well as contributing to the health and safety of its residents. The benefits are endless.
BBBPRD2 programs, classes and events are for all ages so “Step Out for Fun” and participate in the district programs and enjoy a sense of connection with others in the community. Go to bbbparkandrec.com and check out the monthly calendar of activities for you and your family!
Congratulations and thank you to the newly elected BBBPRD2 commissioner Billy Brown and returning commissioner Sheli Moore. They join commissioners Richard Sturgill, Doug Robertson and Jeff Carrington who have spent our tax dollars wisely and given great leadership.
A special thank you to commissioner Katy Montfort who is stepping down after four years of dedicated service. And, of course, a huge pat on the back goes to the hardworking 2017 BBBPRD2 levy awareness team!
Doralee Booth, Friends of BBBPRD2 PAC
Blaine
The Editor:
The fourth grade class at Aviston Elementary, located in southern Illinois, is learning about the United States and the different environments, climates, resources and highlights found in each region. The kids in the class think it would be fun to receive postcards, souvenirs, resources or any information about our great country from each of the 50 states.
We hope that people who read this letter will be interested in mailing our class items pertaining to their state.
Our address: 4th Grade at Aviston Elementary, 350 South Hull Street, Aviston, Illinois 62216
A sincere thank you to anyone who is able to contribute! We appreciate the excitement that you will add to our learning experience.
Mrs. Niemeyer and class
Aviston, Illinois
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