Letters: Stress and learning, TriMet cameras, language of peace, legislative meddling

Letters to the editor By Letters to the editor
on February 18, 2013 at 8:00 PM, updated February 18, 2013 at 8:03 PM

Print publication: Tuesday, Feb. 19

Stress and learning

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Nora Lehnhoff, in her recent guest commentary ("Five ways we can improve Oregon's high schools now," Feb. 11), correctly points out the non-academic reasons that children struggle in school.

Every parent, teacher and politician needs to devour Paul Tough's book "How Children Succeed," which presents sound scientific evidence of how the toxic effects of stress in early childhood impair behavior and learning ability for a lifetime.

Without secure attachment relationships with caregivers that buffer the effects of stress and trauma, a child's brain will not develop to handle stressful situations. Studies show that it is the stress of poverty, not poverty itself, that impairs a child's ability to self-regulate his or her cognitive, emotional and behavioral capabilities.

In the classroom, children are hampered by poor concentration, impaired social skills and empathy, and inability to sit still and follow directions.

We need to shift the emphasis to prevention. We need parenting interventions that increase the chance of secure attachment and resilience, despite the presence of poverty and dysfunction.


Watching and listening

Regarding the editorial "(Shhh! The bus can 'hear' us ...)" (Feb. 15): Audio surveillance of TriMet passengers is not fine. It is another frightening manifestation of a burgeoning police state.

Everywhere you go these days, audio-visual cameras are watching you, making a record that could be retained if any anonymous bureaucrat finds your private utterances or actions "interesting."

Surveillance makes it easier for government and corporate powers to maintain their control over the citizenry, but at what cost? Pre-emptive trolling is morally dubious -- period.

If this trend doesn't get Americans off their couches and into the streets, such complacency will have demonstrated that, after a certain point, defending freedom and privacy just isn't worth the bother.

Northeast Portland

The Oregonian doesn't want us to get "riled up" about TriMet recording our conversations on board its buses. This new technology will be installed on all buses, unless those "moldy state laws designed to ensure privacy" don't get in the way.

But the editorial board must take dignity, the concept that a person must be respected for his human integrity, into account.

After waiting in the rain for that lumbering bus and sitting or standing wedged next to some smelly, sad traveler, I won't have the chance to take a moment and enjoy a call with a friend without being overheard by TriMet, my new Big Brother.

The price of privacy is the price of a car. For those who have no choice but to ride a bus, we'll just have to get used to one more indignity.

Northwest Portland

Language of peace

Regarding David Sirota's timely and highly relevant column "The blind theology of militarism" (Feb. 15): By pointing to "choice-narrowing language," Sirota addresses one of the fundamental problems in our militarized culture and our current public discourse.

When it comes to this dilemma, I like to refer to peace scholar John Paul Lederach's ideas on the moral imagination, which we are lacking in our militarized culture.

With a moral imagination, we 1) imagine people in a web of relationships, including their enemies; 2) foster the understanding of others as an opportunity rather than a threat; 3) pursue the creative process as the wellspring that feeds the building of peace; and 4) risk stepping into the unknown landscape beyond violence.

Where is our moral imagination in the current drone debate?

Hood River 

Legislative meddling

You can tell the Oregon Legislature is in session. Once again, we find extreme overreach by our legislators.

Is the hot topic this session going to be pet care and how long leashes ought to be when pets are tied up ("Tying dog up for hours could bring stiff fine," Feb. 15)? In the 2011 session, it was the size of chicken coops.

Why does government feel the need to intrude into our lives to this extent? By what authority do they do so? I, for one, voted against annual sessions, believing this would force our legislators to focus on the serious issues facing us, instead of the meddling ones. No such luck.

The Legislature must meddle. I know that if they pass the leash law, they can then pass a drone law to enforce it. How else can you check out people's backyards?

And it might just give them ideas for other piddling legislation.


Most of the time, I wonder what is happening within the legislative walls of Salem. It seems to me that our legislators avoid the really important items, such as financial stability for the state, jobs and the economy, education, etc.

In the past couple of weeks, three bills have been introduced that have absolutely no chance of passing and will never be enforced if they do somehow pass:

1. Higher fines for texting while driving ("House bill has 2,000 reasons to turn off cell," Feb. 13). We see texting and talking on cellphones every time we drive.

2. Fining persons who leave dogs tied by leash in public places for extended periods of time ("Tying dog up for hours could bring stiff fine," Feb. 15). Who determines an extended time?

3. Not following federal laws regarding guns ("Gun rights backlash grows," Feb. 15). It will never happen.

I agree with all three bills in principle, but why even mess around with bills like these?

They are frivolous and just clog the Legislature.

Southeast Portland

I doubt I was the only Oregonian who read the two front-page articles on Feb. 15 ("Tying dog up for hours could bring stiff fine" and "Gun rights backlash grows") and sang Hallelujah that our serious state issues are being addressed.

Depending on what part of Oregon you live in or love, one of those bills probably makes perfect sense and the other is completely ridiculous.

My bet is that lonely dogs will get more love than gun freedoms from this Legislature.