Language can be used to lift up, diminish
In reference to the Sept. 24 article in The Sun in Howard, "Help for the disabled coming through," I have to object to the language used by staff writer Diana Sugg.
Throughout the article, she defines people by their disabilities. It is infuriating. I was taught the most valuable English lessons that I ever learned by a man who used a wheelchair. I heard a funny joke from a young woman who is mental retarded. Once, I loved a young man who had schizophrenia and I am the daughter of a brilliant computer nerd who is blind.
The point to these personal revelations is that these life experiences were given to me by people who coincidentally had serious disabilities. Language has the power to change attitudes, to lift up and to diminish. Please stop using an individual's disability as his or her single most important defining feature.
The theme of the article was that additional funding is allowing people with severe disabilities to make important life choices and join their communities. This is a wonderful evolution but we can all assist the change effort by writing and speaking in a more sensitive way and gently reminding others to do the same.
Andrea Paskin
Columbia
Olesker should ask Kane about voting
Maybe Michael Olesker should wander over to Gregory Kane's desk and ask him about the idea that minorities are "owned" by this or that political party and those among them who vote "wrong" are traitors to their class or their race or their religion.
I'm sure he'd tell him what a nasty piece of rhetoric he just spewed on the subject, since he's heard it so often himself. Jews don't have to vote for Democrats, no matter how many times your grandmother endorsed them.
It isn't cute to denounce people for voting the way they think. It's anti-democratic (small "d") and ugly. The writer's prejudices should see some revision before they see the light of day.
John Heasley
Ellicott City
Candidate Feagathanks supporters
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on my campaign, especially my family and long-time friends. So many of you gave time, money and so much more. You cared and believed in me. I am convinced that we could have made a difference.
We all care about the future of Howard County and what has made our country a great and safe place to live. We must never forget our heritage, nor should we forget that our children and grandchildren need and deserve the opportunity to live and enjoy Howard County.
I have been active in helping to create a two-party system in Howard County for more than 40 years and hope that we may continue to have the checks and balances in government. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving on the county council for 12 years. I deeply appreciate the public support from Howard County citizens.
We may have lost the election for county executive and we may not agree entirely with the election process, but nowhere in the world do we have a better opportunity to express our views.
There are some very good candidates. It is our duty and obligation to demand honesty and integrity of them and to make ourselves familiar with their views. Most important of all go to the polls and vote on Nov. 3. Privileges also have responsibilities.
Charles C. Feaga
Ellicott City
Robey improvednpolice department
For the past several months, friends and colleagues in the business and education communities have asked me why I so vigorously support James Robey's candidacy for Howard County executive. My answer is relatively simple. I admire good leaders and respect competent managers. Mr. Robey is both an outstanding manager and an excellent leader.
During my six years as a member of the Citizens Advisory Council to the Howard County Police Department, I have had an opportunity to observe Mr. Robey's ability to effectively and efficiently manage one of the county's most important organizations.
When a difficult decision had to be made, he focused only on how the department could be improved. He introduced innovations for community policing. He listened carefully to citizens, officers and staff for ideas and concerns.
As Columbia and sections of Howard County began to feel the effect of increased urbanization, he demanded that the department apply its resources to identify issues before they became problems. When budget requests were reduced, he reallocated resources to optimize performance.
Seldom does one see the support of a chief executive through all levels of an organization that Mr. Robey received from the uniformed officers to the command staff.
Perhaps the ultimate testimony to the effectiveness of any manager is the condition of the organization upon departure. The Howard County Police Department is a better organization today because of his efforts.
Laurence C. Aaronson
Columbia
Watershed stream should be protected
Howard County Executive Charles I. Ecker informed residents in April of a Patuxent watershed stream survey, which would be accomplished in two months.
High-density development is planned for 268 acres that surround this watershed stream. It is being aggressively pushed by a majority of the Howard County Council and the Planning and Zoning Board with disregard for development regulations and in contempt of state law.
Reckless development alongside a watershed stream is not compatible with maintaining clean water.
Lowell K. Harman
Dayton
Setting story straight on teacher hiring
The NAACP is pleased that Harold Jackson reached the conclusion that more black teachers are needed in Howard County ("County should recruit more black teachers," Sept. 13). The circuitous route taken to reach that conclusion does not diminish the shared message that serious changes need to be made in the hiring practices of the Howard County school system.
Generally, the Howard County chapter of the NAACP does not respond to editorial opinions. However, inaccuracies in the column require correction.
First, the assertion that the superintendent and board members were caught off guard is untrue. Notice of the NAACP's appearance had been given 10 days prior to the board meeting. The purpose of the presentation and the names of the presenters were provided at that time. On Aug. 24, in addition to an announcement at an NAACP candidates forum, fliers were distributed. Two school board members were present at that meeting. The events that precipitated this activity actually began in May with a series of letter to the board and superintendent.
Second, the lack of response to previous contacts that prompted the drastic actions of Aug. 27. The time-honored protest approach did get the attention of board members.
Third, hiring practices in Howard County need to be criticized. The NAACP views the school system's focus on hiring in the Baltimore metropolitan area as useful information but emphasizes strongly that this information does not excuse the Howard County school system from its responsibility to promote equity in hiring. To be the top county on a list of counties with deplorable hiring records is no cause for celebration. The 12 percent hiring rate for African-American teachers in Howard County is significantly lower than the 16.9 percent student population.
Conspicuously absent from the metropolitan area report were statistics for neighboring Prince George's County, which has a hiring rate for African-American teachers of 48.7 percent. Because Howard County lies in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, the appropriate metropolitan area should include Prince George's and Montgomery counties.
A more accurate picture emerges when the actual numbers of African-American staff members are compared between counties rather than percentages. Numerous complaints from persons who had applied for teaching positions in Howard County but did not receive a response prompted this review.
Fourth, the NAACP acknowledged the high representation of black school-based administrators in its position paper. Also, the correct percentage as stated in the hiring and staffing report for 1997 was 25.5 percent, not the 30.7 percent mentioned in the column.
Fifth, custodial and cafeteria workers were not the focus of the NAACP criticism of hiring practices in the maintenance division. The NAACP focus was on the total absence of blacks in the highly skilled positions of electricians, plumbers and carpenters, all of whom command substantial salaries. We also voiced concern over the low numbers of blacks in air control (1), welding (1) and grounds (2). Complaints from persons denied employment in these areas prompted the NAACP's review of classified positions.
Sixth, data concerning student achievement and suspensions were not included in the position paper since our focus was on staffing. Your inclusion of this data and your personal experiences provided a powerful message and we appreciated that insight. Over the years, the Howard County NAACP has submitted numerous position papers to the Board of Education on the issues of student achievement and suspensions.
Finally, the NAACP's focus on personnel issues included other items in addition to hiring practices. These issues represented a number of complaints that had been brought to the attention of the superintendent by the NAACP over three months. The NAACP has a responsibility to address the concerns of its members in addition to routine monitoring of civil rights issues. As unpaid volunteers, we expend a tremendous amount of time, energy and personal funds on behalf of civil rights in Howard County. We urge you not to trivialize these efforts.
Jenkins Odoms Jr.
Natalie Woodson
The writers are, respectively, president of the Howard County chapter of the NAACP and chairwoman of its education committee.