One of my favorite parts of the local newspaper is the Readers' Forum.  It entertains me for minutes on end.  There are nice letters of thanks and those that sing the praises of recent performances, or school programs, or community events.  There are letters that are critical of recent news stories.  There are letters by political finger pointers (5th letter) ; or letters by holy rollers (3rd letter) .  There are even letters by holy rolling political finger pointers.

Then there are letters that irritate the snot out of me.  These all fall under the same category.   I call this the whiners who got caught category.  These aren't humble admissions of guilt warning the reader to escape the same fate.  These are how dare you catch me AND make me face the consequence of my actions letters.  There was the guy who got caught speeding 20 miles over the limit who complained that police were wasting their time on traffic stops when decent store owners were being robbed at gunpoint.  There is this person (name withheld but you can find it here if you really want it):

READERS' FORUM 4/27 | Where are police officers we can look up to?

What’s going on with our police officers? I’m starting to think they are above the law or lack respect and consideration for the common citizen.

Aren’t police supposed to serve as role models for the rest of us? How are we supposed to maintain respect for them when they don’t maintain a positive image?

Regarding the recent charges brought against the Northern Cambria police chief: Does he think he’s above the law? It is very disturbing that the chief of police would be accused of getting behind the wheel when he was drinking. Why do police officers feel they and their family members shouldn’t be prosecuted for something so serious as this? (in reference to this article)

And why do police officers have to be so rude and callous while making a traffic stop? Last weekend we were pulled over for driving after the deadline for studded snow tires. Is it such a terrible crime that we were four days past the deadline?

We tried to explain that we were planning to have them off the next day, but the officer wouldn’t listen and slapped us with a fine. He didn’t need to be so cold and rude.

The only positive image I see of police is when I’m watching Sheriff Andy Taylor on reruns of “The Andy Griffith Show.” People looked up to Sheriff Taylor and he was a good role model for his community.

Seems like those days are gone.

An officer's wife wrote a nice rebuttal:

READERS' FORUM 5/3 | Unfortunately, Johnstown isn’t Mayberry

As the wife of a city of Johnstown police officer, I have some problems with Karen Weakland’s letter (April 27, “Where are police officers we can look up to?”).

She is correct. No one is above the law – no cop, preacher, judge, etc. If you do the crime – you own it.

However, not all police officers are as she described. I think she had a bad taste because she had received a fine (for driving after the deadline for studded snow tires).

Yes, sometimes officers can be rude; can’t we all be? Try to walk a mile in their shoes. They can be killed just by going to work. They get spit on, swore at, bitten, and more, for doing their jobs.

They see people at their “best” – you know, drug dealers, drunks, wife beaters, child abusers, etc. They hear every type of lie. Yet most try to see the best in all.

The writer should go on a “ride-a-long” so she could see what the average officer sees in a shift.

My husband, like many other officers, chose his job so he could make a difference. They may not be heroes to the writer, but to many others they are.

How about when they have to approach the parents of a child who has been murdered? Or talk to a rape victim? Or deal with a family who has had a loved one die from a drug overdose?

Police officers are human, too. It is a tough job and they can’t be everyone’s friend.

In case the writer hasn’t noticed, this is not Mayberry. Sheriff Andy Taylor did not have all the drugs, drunks and ungrateful people to deal with.

So the next time you see a police officer, thank him for doing his job. You know, the pay is so great and the hours are wonderful!

Gina Matcho

Johnstown

I probably wouldn't have been as generous.  The reason there are deadlines and laws with fines for having studded snow tires is because those types of tires are damaging to the roads.  While our roads are falling apart and the costs for repairing and replacing roads are running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, your soft attitude about following the rules is costing everyone more money.  As for Speed Racer wanting to know why the police were wasting time on stopping him instead of catching armed robbers, that would be because they saw YOU breaking the law first.  Police aren't psychic.  They don't know where the next crime is going to occur.  They saw YOU.  They caught YOU.  Where is your shame?  Instead of calling attention to your own stupidity, suck it up, shut up, pay your fine, and follow the rules next time you are driving.

This next letter has got to be the best example of where these whiners come from:

Portage teacher rude to parent

I am writing this letter for parents who have children in the Portage Area School District.

My child received a demerit for laughing and being loud at lunch. Oh my, we better call the prison to see if they have room for her.

Several weeks ago, all the students did was prepare for Pennsylvania System of School Assessment testing. School officials sent notes home to parents, asking them to make sure their children got a good night’s rest and ate a good breakfast the days they are taking the PSSAs.

What about the other school days? Don’t they care if my child eats breakfast then?

I called the teacher who gave my 8-year-old a demerit for laughing and asked what had happened. During our conversation, she hung up on me.

I then called the school to set up a meeting with the teacher and school officials.

I attended that meeting and brought up the fact that the teacher had hanged up on me. The officials didn’t want to hear about it. They said they were meeting about the demerit.

Teachers are supposed to be role models for our students. I pay my school taxes so that particular teacher has a job, but I’m not entitled to an explanation or an apology?

My daughter didn’t cheat, steal or threaten anyone. She laughed at lunch and got a demerit.

What punishment did the teacher get?

Nothing.

Where to begin . . . . :  Dear Tribune Democrat Editors,  In this time where Pennsylvanians are being portrayed as uneducated angry gun toting religious zealots by major politicians, could you refrain from printing letters from people who insist on making themselves (and unfortunately through their opinions the rest of Pennsylvanians) look bad?  I realize this is going to cut your Readers' Forum options by 80% but shouldn't the job of editors also keep people from making themselves look stupid in such a public way?

Or I could take the high road:  Dear Portage Parent,  Teacher's today have the difficult task of not only teaching reading, writing, and arithmatic, but also teaching discipline and appropriate behavior to their young students.  A demerit is an appropriate tool to guide a students behavior.  While it was probably uncomfortable for your child to receive criticism for her behavior, it is also a lesson in accepting the consequences of her actions.  It is also a lesson that underscores the imperfections of being human and making mistakes.  Mistakes can be corrected.  We will still be accepted by our peers.  We can put things behind us and move forward to our next lesson.  Your child will survive this scenario with a better understanding of how she is expected to behave in the lunchroom. 

I could also give in to my raging hormones:  Dear Drama Queen, Stop being an embarrassment to your child!  You are trying to make you and your child look like victims but the rest of us out here are smart enough to know that you have conveniently omitted parts of the story.  In my experience people do not hang up on other people during polite conversation.  It has also been my experience that your wise cracking attitude and the statement about paying that teachers' salary is usually followed by insults and dehumanizing statements.  I would like to hang up on you and give you a 100 demerits just for the behavior in your letter.  You wasted the time of the teacher (twice) and the rest of the schools' administrators over essentially nothing.  You were given an explanation for the demerit.  You were most likely brushed off on the hang up because of your own behavior.  Teachers don't get punished for doing their job which includes keeping your spoiled brat under control.  You said it best, "My daughter didn't cheat, steal, or threaten anyone.  She laughed at lunch and got a demerit."  GET A GRIP!  They didn't suspend or arrest your child for laughing.  That would have been an overreaction.  Your daughter is probably over it already.  You need to learn to put things into perspective.  You need to learn to pick your battles.  You need to learn not to be so sensitive.  You need to learn how to MOVE ON.  Your behavior only serves to explain why in 20 years we'll be reading your child's whiney complaints about how unfair it was that she got a speeding ticket.

Are these the kind of letters that you have in your local papers??? 

tags: editorial  opinion  tribune democrat  pennsylvania  johnstown  entertainment  rants  stupidity  law  punishment  consequence  bad behavior  

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