Letters to the Editor: ‘Words fail me’ over masked men, guns in the Capitol

Memories tarnished

I grew up next door to the Kentucky State Capitol. As a child, I had free access to those marble halls. We roller skated in the statue room. We rubbed Lincoln’s toe as a matter of course as we passed by, we sneaked across the flat roof and climbed to the dome, we played on the escalator in the annex, we reenacted every Nancy Drew mystery in the exquisite grounds. Later, as teenagers, the Capitol grounds provided a romantic setting for exchanging kisses with teenage crushes. But now, seeing masked white men with weapons of war crouching in attack mode, tramping in those marble halls with intent to intimidate, in that sacred place, that place of democracy, that place of safety, and happy childhood memories… words fail me.

Diana Martin, Lexington

University Press an asset

I am responding to Stan McDonald’s recent op-ed,“The University Press of Kentucky needs state support,” in the Herald-Leader. Until about a year ago, the Press received about $600,000 annually from the state, and no money could have been better spent to burnish our reputation with a discerning public. Along with many others, I was dismayed when the governor and legislature deleted this small amount from the state budget.

For 35 years, I taught at Berea College, and for 20 of those years I served as the college’s representative on the Editorial Board of the University Press. From this perspective, I was in a good position to judge the qualities of the Press and its people. During that time, the Press published many excellent books on Kentucky’s history, geography, literature, cuisine, culture, and many other things. The Press vetted many manuscripts, and chose the ones that best matched editorial expectations. Many of these books received excellent reviews, from local and national readers. Collectively, they generated enough revenue to supplement the state’s contribution; without the state money, I am sure the Press is in dire straits.

I cannot think of any other state institution that could be a greater credit to the commonwealth.

Paul David Nelson, Lexington

Extreme risk laws essential

Every morning, my high-school son leaves his bedroom light on when he goes to school. He often drinks all the milk, neglecting to tell me we need a refill until it’s gone. Wet towels frequently carpet the bathroom.

What a luxury these annoyances are to me. A happy teenager leaving a trail of existence that I cannot bring myself to fuss at him about. I think about the Parkland families, the Marshall County and Sandy Hook families, all who would give anything to have one more light left on, a milk jug left barely empty, an extra load of towels to dry. To consider a shooting at his school is more than I can bear the thought of — to imagine it as a reality, the way these families must, is beyond comprehension.

In a U.S. Department of Education study, 93 percent of targeted school violence cases had preceding warning signs. Seventeen states have extreme risk laws, and we have reports of successful interventions in potential school-related violence. These laws infringe on no rights, and have great potential to save lives.

Kentucky has the opportunity to help protect our children from such unconscionable situations by passing an extreme risk law.

Katherine Mueller, Frankfort, volunteer, Kentucky Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

Ban ‘conversion therapy’

I’ve been grateful this year to see Kentuckians — including social workers, psychologists, mental health counselors, healthcare providers, and faith leaders — advocating for an end to “conversion therapy.” This discredited practice attempts to change young people’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Recently lawmakers in our state, including Republicans and Democrats, have cosponsored legislation to protect minors from this abhorrent practice, and the bills are gaining momentum.

As the executive director of the Kentucky Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, I can state that few practices have hurt LGBTQ children more than this so-called “therapy.” It has been linked to increased rates of mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual health problems, substance abuse, and suicide. It breaks my heart to think that young LGBTQ Kentuckians are being exposed to unequivocally harmful techniques like sleep deprivation, shame-based avoidance, and even institutionalization.

Social workers in Kentucky understand conversion therapy to be not only unethical and unprofessional — not to mention ineffective — but also capable of sustaining long-term, irreparable damage to the lives of the young people that we serve.We join the chorus of voices in urging Kentucky legislators to pass the Mental Health Protection Act and protect our young people once and for all.

Brenda Rosen, Lexington

Op-ed ‘nasty’

I am a long-term subscriber to the Herald-Leader, and this is the first time I have submitted comments to the Herald-Leader. When reading the opinions page recently, I was so angered by the irresponsible, nasty, and totally partisan commentary by opinions columnist Linda Blackford regarding our two Kentucky senators and the president. It was clear to me that she is so blinded by her party politics that she is unable to to write a coherent, objective article. Instead of the subject of her article being an embarrassment to Kentucky, it is, instead, an embarrassment to the newspaper. I understand that this is an opinion page and writers have the freedom of expressing their opinions. But, I also believe that most of your readers want to see a sense of decorum in the articles they read, and not those that spew hate. I think that she honestly believes that her views represent the majority of Kentuckians, as well as the Herald-Leader’s readers. As an Independent, many that I know believe that the impeachment process was a partisan grab for power by her party.There is little or no mention of their views in your paper.

My hope is that your paper will stop promoting anger and divisiveness among your readers.

David L. Reimold, Richmond

Praise for Wheeler

I was surprised that anyone would call state Sen. Philip Wheeler a racist. I’ve known him since he was a teenager in high school. He has had a passion to serve his community from an early age. He is one of the nicest, kindest young men I know.

He reposted something about the Democrat governor of Virginia’s unfortunate picture in blackface, and also about Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s statement about being a Native American Democrats love to use the race card against Republicans. I don’t think it’s working. Democrats should work harder to relate their accomplishments and explain their goals to the people of Kentucky. It’s too easy to call someone a racist.

I’m also concerned about the effect this has on young men and women who would like to serve in public office. As a young Republican woman I had a passion to serve my county. I was elected magistrate, the first woman elected and not appointed. I later won the race for Pike County judge executive. I was a Certified Public Accountant and fully qualified. I was treated like a criminal by the Democrats till my family couldn’t take it anymore. I wonder if this is the tactic being used on young Republican candidates.

Karen Gibson, Pikeville

Eliminate the money

A recent article labeled presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders as the Sally Field of the Democratic primary.

Sanders normally receives hostile attacks and criticisms that are usually slanted by special interests… and political parties.

The special interests attack to preserve their corruption of the election system, and the political parties answer to their financiers. Both are corrupted by money or fear their own might lose control of power.

The most guilty Republicans are led by our own Moscow Mitch. Senator McConnell has always been addicted to financial power. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and some Kentucky powers seem to finance a particular interest in Kentucky’s primary.

We don’t need more corruption by corrupt Democratic machines — locally, in our state, or nationally.

We need honest, progressive leaders like Sanders and Kentucky’s U.S. Rep John Yarmuth.

A solution to take money out of control of our elections (and buying our leaders in all bodies of government), give meaning to our right to vote, and even encouraging more to vote may be a long way off.

But it is a demand we, and the media, should make to all candidates now and until it’s accomplished.

Don Pratt, Lexington