What if Hughes trial”s skin tones were reversed?
Regarding the trial of the young men who broke into a home and ended up being shot in the back some time ago. What if some Caucasian fraternity boys ran out of beer and boogied to their favorite African American supplier who drove them off with a shot gun when the frat boys got violent? What if the African American supplier shot two of the boys in the back? What if the third Caucasian frat boy got arrested later and the African American district attorney charged him with murder while charging the African American supplier with nothing? What if the mostly African American county had a history of racism? What if lies were spread about the amount of violence done to the African American family, and yet the judge wanted the case tried there in that county where the shootings occurred?
When the local Caucasian citizen”s council protested the location, a circuit judge moved the case to a more racially balanced county. Most of the African Americans in the mostly African American nation wrote letters to editors arguing for their right to execute the Caucasian frat boy who had tried to run away. The blogs and hate radio talk show were full of outraged African American citizens. Just what if?
Edwin Christwitz
Clearlake
Keep students in school
Recently there have been threats of student walk-outs to support a misguided protest of a new measure signed into law, Senate Bill 777.
SB 777 simplifies and clarifies existing civil rights protections for California students. It does not expand civil rights protections in the California Education Code, but it does clarify just what those protections include by providing an explicit and clear list of all the prohibited bases of discrimination in publicly-funded kindergarten through grade twelve schools. SB 777 also updates the more specific prohibitions against discrimination scattered throughout the law to reference Education Code sections 220 and 66270. Finally, the measure replaces the law”s outdated references to “handicapped students” with “students with disabilities.”
We must encourage students to stay in school and resist calls for a protest and walkout over SB 777. What I find most troubling is that possible student absences may lead to missed opportunities for them to learn and that this lost time may not be recaptured. Additionally, there may be fiscal consequences to school districts for funds lost due to student absences. The California Department of Education has a duty to implement the laws about public instruction that are passed by the State Legislature and the Governor. Every child has a right to a safe learning environment.
Jack O”Connell
California Secretary of Education
Please help us reopen the Clearlake Skate Park
As you may or may not know, our youth are coming together with the help of the community to raise money to reopen the skatepark. Just to repair the skatepark, the costs exceed $5,000. Our goal is to get the skatepark open as soon as possible and then continue to raise funds to open a BMXer-friendly park also or to upgrade the existing skatepark, at the same time as the repairs, to allow BMX bikes.
Our youth here in Lake County lack for extracurricular things to do. Having a skate/bike park will provide them with an outlet for their energy. Having such an outlet has been proven to keep youth out of trouble.
Please help support the future of our community. By your involvement, donations or any other offer we can make this happen. Contact Denise Claiche for information on how you can help at deniseh50@msn.com or call 277-9199.
Denise Claiche, parent
Jarae Sims, skater
RJ Hudson, BMXer
Help spread the word: Don”t drink and drive
The CHP and Team DUI join forces to spread the word about the choices we make regarding the desision to drink and drive.
We enter the holidays with plans of family and friend get-togethers, company parties and year-end celebrations. There will be an increase in traffic with Old Man Winter knocking at our door. Based on past performance and statistics, the anticipated driving under the influence fatality rate is expected to run in the 40-percent range.
What, do you ask, can a person do to reduce that statistic? There are several things that can be done. The designated driver approach is one in which someone in the group is in charge of the transportation. Treat him/her good by supplying the designated driver with all the soda or other non-alcoholic beverages they desire. Call for a taxi or friend to pick you up or just plan on spending the night at the place you are drinking at. And by all means, don”t get into the vehicle if you know that the driver has been drinking.
Our holiday exhortations not to drink and drive are repeated annually, even though they may seem monotonous and ritualistic. This plea will be made anew every holiday period because the decisions reached by each individual driver counts for so much.
The highway is a community in itself, particularly in California, where our major roads are constantly occupied, where activity never ceases and where unwise and thoughtless behavior results in undesirable consequences.
Sometimes the consequence of driving after drinking is drowsiness, because alcohol is a depressant. That form of sleepiness is not so easily overcome, except for the obvious ? don”t even start out, or let the sober designated driver take over the vehicle.
This is not meant to be a gloomy message, but we all see enough suffering every holiday season that need not happen if we all do our part. Please think about judgment and choices this season as your life may depend on it. Also, let me remind everyone to activate your headlights during inclement weather for everyone”s safety. Wishing everyone a safe and happy Holiday Season and see you in the New Year.
CHP officers Lance Mino and Adam Garcia and Team DUI
U.S. is addicted to war
It is time now to go deeper than knee-jerk reactions to superficial statements made by our leaders. We must not be swayed by propoganized fear. We must feel how common people all have in common the need and desire to live an unthreatened existence just like you and me. Our leaders have an agenda that does not take this into account. Most of us folks simply want to pay the bills and bring home a decent meal for our family and this goes for all the families in the Mid- East and Africa and everywhere else. We are really not all that complex.
If we generate fear on our part we will instill fear in others and fear will proliferate. And when backed into a corner fear becomes anger. We must show a different sign to the world, the sign of humanity at it”s best. We are a very powerful country. Let us take that power in the form of PEACE and stop this unwarranted potential for tyranny in Iran and everywhere else that it trys to take hold. War only breeds war until everything is spoiled. We are spoiling everything good about this country.
Our government has become an addict to War and what has it solved? Say “No” and now to any act of harm to anyone and any other country!
Carole Evans-Otness
Middletown
Deaths were suicide under Provocative Act
During the jury selection in Lake County for the Renato Hughes trial, many jurors were excused because they could not convict Hughes for first-degree murder under the Provocative Act Doctrine. As the jury selection continued over several days, the thought that went through my mind was that if Mr. Hughes could be charged with first-degree murder by his actions even though he did not pull the trigger, what about the men who were killed? Were they not also responsible for their own deaths? If one is responsible for their own death is that suicide?
The Provocative Act Doctrine as applied in this case seems prejudiced to the living and does not take in the responsibility for their own actions. I feel we need to be careful in how we apply certain laws. Laws need to be just and laws need to make sense to the people who will be asked to make decisions using them.
V. Kent
Lower Lake
Don”t forget to write!
The Clear Lake Observer*American welcomes letters responding to articles and opinions that have appeared in this newspaper, as well as on topics of general interest. Letters can be sent to letters@clearlakeobserver.com or mailed to PO Box 6200, Clearlake, CA 95422. Pleases include complete name, address and telephone number.
