Letters to the Editor

Posted: Monday, January 24, 2000

Father knows best

Columnist Paul Greenberg just doesn't get it. The issue of whether or not Elian Gonzalez should be returned to his father is not about persecution. It's about the right of a father and son to be united.

Cute little stories about persecution in Poland and Russia do nothing but cloud the issue. The fact that Greenberg's tour was canceled is unfortunate, but irrelevant.

Greenberg, along with the loud-mouthed opportunists in Miami and the pandering politicians, would have us believe they are only interested in the best interest of the child in question. Poppycock! If they really cared about children, they would be clamoring for the United States to ratify the U.N. Charter on the Rights of Children. They would be screaming that the United States join many European countries in banning corporal punishment as a means of disciplining children. But they do not believe children have rights, and they reserve the right to beat their children.

When did this best-interest-of-the child-thing become the law of the land anyway? Would Greenberg have the rich folks in Arkansas scour the trailer parks, pick up poor children and take them home in their best interest? Would he have the Baptists gather up little Catholic children and save them from damnation? Democrats are often characterized as commie pinko liberals; why not have the good Republicans pick up their children? In their best interest, of course.

The fact is that we do not take children away from their parents because it is in their best interest. Only when we can show that parents are unfit is this allowed. And that is when parents are unfit, not the leader of the government.

Castro threw the United States and its despotic puppet out 40 years ago and we just can't get over it. Now, we want to make a 6-year-old child suffer for our pettiness. Why don't we just grow up and send that boy back to his father where he belongs?



No overtime in team

Now that I've come down from my cloud after the All-Star festivities Jan. 12-14, I'd like to say that it was a great two nights. The Western Professional Hockey League and the Amarillo Civic Center staff did a great job of putting on the show.

A personal thanks must be given to my boss, who made my trip to the games possible. Thanks, Brian and Linda; you're the greatest.

Now back to the festivities. I only found one thing lacking: I never got to see my childhood idol, Gordie Howe. Maybe I was in the wrong place, but it would have made the whole experience a lot more enjoyable.

The fact that the All-Star game ended in a shootout was not so great. After battling back to tie the game, Team Texas should have been given the opportunity to win the game in a real game situation, meaning overtime.

Why anyone in his right mind would want to settle a game with a shootout is beyond me. I personally don't find it to be exciting or entertaining. It looks great in a skills competition, but to actually use it to decide the outcome of a hotly contested game is wrong.

Maybe I'm a little bit jaded. I'm still bitter about Canada losing the 1994 Olympic gold medal to Sweden - a medal that Canada could have won had it been able to play for it in overtime.

It's like saying, "We can't win it as a team, so let's rely on one person to win it or lose it." If I'm not mistaken, it's still a team sport - right?

It gives new meaning to the term "garbage goal."


Amistad, N.M.

Phillips good choice

Do most of us know or think about the dedication of a good school board person? The long hours? Thankless jobs? Difficult decisions?

I confess I did not until I started attending their meetings. Now I know that every decision they make affects everyone in the district. They're charged with the task of seeing that every child in school gets an equal, quality education for the yearly total of $5,600 per student.

It's not easy, but it is feasible with a good leader. Highland Park ISD has such a leader: Glen Phillips.

Glen is president of our school board. He has been a catalyst for change. During his tenure, we have: increased enrollment more than 30 percent; installed a state-of-the-art security system, technical education laboratory and telephone system; and networked 400 computers.

Balanced literacy, reading recovery and a preschool programs have been implemented. TAAS scores and parental involvement have increased substantially. We have upgraded equipment and programs.

Students are more technologically advanced and are better accessing programs from Amarillo College. Our cafeteria, library, and most office systems have been computerized. Every person who needs a computer for work has one. Constant technical support and training are available. Plus everyone has continued to get raises.

We are building a new cafeteria and are involved in a state pilot project for technical innovations. Our own technology will be kept state of the art. Glen is a problem-solver. He asks hard questions, but he listens, which I think we should ask any leader to do. Then the leader must ask himself, "What can I do to make things better for the people who are affected by my decisions?"

Isn't the evidence clear that Glen Phillips is doing that for Highland Park ISD?



Phillips good choice,

Part 2

I have worked for Highland Park ISD for two years, and school board president Glen Phillips is a great asset to this district. Along with his board and the superintendent, Glen has made it possible for the students at Highland Park ISD to have a top-of-the-line education. Just call the school and make an appointment to tour the facilities - you will be amazed at the environment our kids are learning in.

Daniel K. Thrasher's Jan. 7 letter about Glen was unfair. Yes, Highland Park made a mistake allowing prisoners to work at the facility while we had kids there, but no one was hurt and the problem was corrected immediately. Glen had nothing to do with this one-time incident. At no time were the prisoners left unsupervised, nor were the kids left unattended. Mr. Thrasher makes it sound like that is common practice, but I assure you it is not. Our policy is that prisoners can only work when there are no kids on site. The incident happened only once and will never happen again.

I was at the school board meeting the night Mr. Thrasher expressed his concerns about the prisoners working on campus. His concerns were legitimate and immediate action was taken to assure him and the community that it would never happen again. But Mr. Thrasher seemed to have only one item on his agenda that night: He wanted to attack someone and chose Glen Phillips.

Mr. Thrasher has kids at Highland Park. If he is so concerned about their safety, why hasn't he withdrawn them? Is it because he knows Highland Park offers a wonderful, safe environment for our kids?

Glen Phillips is very professional and makes good decisions to help our school. He would make a great Potter County commissioner.