CONSTITUTION DAY

Freedom rings in Idaho with partisanship as usual

While attending the governor’s Constitution Day proclamation on the Statehouse steps, I was greeted by the gallery with pictures of President Obama sporting swastika eyes, commenting that Obama wasn’t their president, and that we should do away with government altogether. I was hoping for a celebration of our Constitution, devoid of partisanship or extremist ideologies, but prepared for the worst. What I wasn’t prepared for was disrespectful speech from our governor or Idaho Supreme Court Justice Daniel Eismann when they spoke.

Eismann said that “the U.S. Supreme Court lacked integrity” and was an “accomplice” to abuses perpetrated by all branches of government. Gov. Butch Otter made his proclamation with careful grace, but took a hard right turn to bond with the general audience, referencing “the rats in D.C.”

The remainder of the speakers talked about removing politicians who wouldn’t reintroduce God into our schools and government, asserting Obama’s preference of Muslims over Christians, that our government’s Marxist policies were unraveling the moral fiber of our country, and decrying most federal actions unconstitutional — stopping just short of calling for full-scale rebellion.

I support free speech, but cannot condone public officials aligning themselves with political ideologies disrespectful to our nation.

AL BAUN, Boise

HELPING STUDENTS

Encouragement goesa long way in education

Children’s success in school isn’t just up to children to work out. Encouragement, understanding and cooperation from their adults are required as well, according to John at childup.com and Aruna at medindia.com.

When I was in school I got an “F” in one of my classes and couldn’t get the grade up. I discovered it was due to the nonexistent encouragement from my teacher. Rather than helping me, she told me I was unteachable and embarrassed me in front of the class by showing them my grades. She later put me in lower classes and none of the other teachers understood why. I talked to my mother, who I got encouragement from and who convinced me to talk with my teacher. At first, she went at teaching by metaphors but still wasn’t patient with me, which barely brought my grade up. I didn’t pass the class until she met me at my level with patience and understanding.

Anybody will do better when they are told good job and receive cooperation with understanding. When your children are struggling talk with their teacher and create an easy plan that helps you as a teacher, parent, and a student.

GIANA BARRAZA, Nampa

SMOKING BAN

Council not qualified to determine standards

Hey, City Council; You don’t own that! Boise has citizens and some of those citizens work hard and take financial risks to purchase property. They start a business that will provide a wanted or needed service to the community. Without that, a business will surely fail.

The City Council should not be the monopoly players in community business. It was not their hard work or financial situation that paid for community businesses.

The City Council claims the smoking bans were a result of public health concerns. Public health is a broad topic in reality and should be addressed on a hazardous level approach. How can they claim it’s a necessity for health standards when the main federal agency, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, cannot enact smoking bans for health reasons?

Everyone should be wise enough to realize from the centuries of experience the world has had with smoking that it doesn’t constitute the imminent public health threat that would require the board to act.

THOMAS GIBBONS, Boise

VOTING

IDs are not the problem; apathy is the problem

I recently moved to Boise from a state with historically poor voter participation.

There, a presidential election that draws more than 50 percent of registered voters is considered a rousing success. Primary races routinely garner well below 25 percent of voters; in my own county, one recent primary election drew a paltry 9 percent of the local electorate.

I have no problem with producing legitimate identification at the polls when I vote, much as I was asked to do as a new resident when applying for an Ada County library card.

Still, it seems to me that anyone so desperate to cast a ballot that they would risk fraud and illegality to do so should be encouraged, not condemned. They are, after all, pursuing their franchise a lot more diligently than hundreds of thousands of Americans who — while legally registered to vote — can never be bothered to show up at the polls.

DAVID KLINGER, Boise

DONATIONS NEEDED

Lack of funding cuts service for disabled

I became disabled in May 1994. I went to a mental place and I hated it at first. Its name was Human Supports of Idaho in Boise. After a short time I realized it was the best thing that could happen to me. It saved my life in many ways. But now, it is 2012. Human Supports was closed down due to lack of funds. Then I had to go to another called Community Support Center.

Things would and could get better for those of us that go there, if we had some assistance. Things would then change for the better.

Help us disabled people if you can. We do need it. Donations accepted. We are skimping it in a lot of ways. Our lives are already hard enough day by day because of our mental and physical needs.

Yes, we are surviving through it in a proud and courageous way, for me that is. Others have their own selves to deal with. All I can say is help us please. We need it a lot. Go to 716 N. Orchard, (208) 429-0330, with donations. It will benefit our needs.

ROGER SILVIA, Boise

IDAHO GROWTH

Employers, leaders stand in the way of progress

I read with amusement the article entitled “Europe’s Youth Face Crisis of Connections.” So talented, qualified people in Spain, Italy and France are passed over for jobs because they don’t have the right connections? These countries must be taking lessons from Idaho. So it takes 40 resumes to land a job in Germany if you aren’t from the right family? That’s peanuts compared to here! But unlike the Idahoans, at least the Europeans admit to their system of patronage and nepotism.

Our employers and leaders are delusional in their denial of the depths of the same problem here. Perhaps if we took a clue from Europe, we could discover and correct one big reason why our state economy is so stagnant. Oh, wait, my mistake, Idaho’s economy isn’t stagnant, it’s booming according to local business and political leaders. I forgot to count the pawn shops, smoke shops, thrift stores, tattoo parlors, nail salons, drug peddlers and bail bond places as growth industries.

JENNIFER CHRISTIANO, Boise