August 26, 2008 12:48 am
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Save U.S. jobs; buy American
These are changing times and challenging times in America. Americans are losing their jobs at a fast pace. But as I look around at the imported cars on the streets of Kokomo, I can’t help but wonder where the loyalty is to the Big Three who helped build this country’s manufacturing base?
Every day when I turn on the TV, I am bombarded with commercials from Kia, Toyota, Honda, etc., and they are brainwashing Americans. Have you ever seen a Toyota at an antique car show? I haven’t, because they are in the junkyard.
If Americans would think about what they buy, whether it is clothes, cars, appliances, maybe it will keep jobs here in the USA. People don’t think that buying an import will affect their job, but when you cause people to lose their job in a factory, it will affect you. Services like HUD, Goodfellows, United Way are all supported by people who work, and when the work force declines, so do these sources.
Automotive plants are closing down at a fast pace, but do you hear of Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, etc., opening plants as fast as we are closing them? Toyota was brought to you by the same people who brought you Pearl Harbor.
Think about this: If everyone in the United States would purchase American-made products, we wouldn’t be losing jobs. If this trend keeps up, Japan and China will own America, and they won’t even have to fire a single shot.
David Foster
Sharpsville
If you expect justice, support Davis, Kirk
This letter is in response to Vivian Davis’ letter in support of her son, Capt. Greg Davis and his family. Although I do not know Mr. Kirk, my family and I are supporting him as well.
I have known the Davis family for many years, and a finer family you won’t find. Jack was truly a man of his convictions. Even after going through the unimaginable as a POW during the Korean War, he never looked back to feel sorry for himself. He was a proud survivor.
I see Greg as having those same qualities. In today’s society, it is not unusual to hear stories similar to this. People trying to do the right thing (which I believe Greg did) but also being vilified for it by those with the power to do so. It just makes no sense but, unfortunately, a sad fact of life.
I encourage any and all of you to support Davis and Kirk. If you believe in justice, I encourage you to be at City Hall on Sept. 5 at 10 a.m.
If we, as God-fearing citizens, expect justice, we must let it be known. Greg Davis is one of the finest young men I know. God bless you and your family, Greg. I truly believe he will be in that courtroom as well.
LaWanda Hudson
Kokomo
Free series offers help for families
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Kokomo Chapter, is planning to offer the Family to Family education series again to anyone in Kokomo or Howard County who is in need of this service. It has been two years since the series has been offered, and I know there are people who are desperate for this well-documented information series.
Allow me to tell you why I think knowledge about mental illness is so important.
I am part of the past history of the mental health community of Kokomo. I and my counterparts have been supporting each other for almost 25 years through family support groups. We struggled through the years when there was no supportive employment, the era of heavy medications that often did little to help our children, lived with blame on the families themselves, professionals who did not want to hear what families had to say or contribute to their loved ones’ treatment, and a state system that had no continuity of services. Is the system now perfected? No. We still need to educate the politicians.
We have seen improvements in medications, research into brain function that proves it is a physical illness. As a consequence, we have seen better understanding and relationships with professionals. But even with these few advances, nothing in dealing with a mentally ill person is ever easy! And no one knows this better than a family who has experienced it and lived with it for many years. Family-to-Family teachers are people who know and can empathize with all the frustrations of getting help and understanding what you are going through.
What helps? Educating yourself about the illness. An educated family, as well as the educated professional, are essential to achieve the best outcome for your loved one.
Like Dr. Martin Luther King, I have a dream. It is to see Kokomo parents and families of those having mental problems dealing with everyday living, reach out and get what we are offering the community. Family to Family is a 12-week, one night a week course, starting at 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is free and materials are furnished. The series begins Sept. 4 at South Side Christian Church on Markland Avenue. Please call 864-0827 to register.
Roberta E. Wagner
Kokomo
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