Readers write: The power of moral strength, and effects of fire
Letters to the editor for the Feb. 11, 2019 weekly magazine.
Punters crowd around a bookmaker at Wimbledon Stadium in London, in May 2011.
Chris Helgren/Reuters
The power of moral strength
Thank you for the Dec. 10 editorial in the Weekly Print Edition, “Ask the kids who don’t gamble.” It highlights the natural resistance to risky and negative behaviors that kids are endowed with – what you call “moral strength.” We are each endowed with this, and it is our moral duty to mankind to understand and uphold this integrity as an innate part of ourselves and others.
I have been involved in preventive efforts in my hometown through a group called Communities That Care. It is a nationally recognized program. There are many other such programs as well, including those of the Christian Science Church, its Sunday Schools, and the DiscoveryBound program and various camps.
There are countless ways to engage children and employ the important qualities that your editorial pointed out: “talent, teamwork, and hard work.” I’m glad to know of national studies that are researching preventive approaches. After all, prevention is always the best course of action.
Ali Ziesler
Park City, Utah
Effects of fire
The Dec. 31 Monitor Daily article “ ‘It’s like we don’t exist’: California’s invisible rural housing crisis” is a timely story addressing a valid concern. Please keep up the stories on this unfolding tragedy.
I live in a rural town in northern California where growth is stymied by the magnet effect of nearby larger cities. It is close to the Camp fire in Paradise, and I now see an influx of burned-out evacuees seeking permanent housing, buying or renting.
The prices for existing homes have made significant increases, and rental costs have jumped. We are now seeing an increase in homeless people; most are harmless, but I believe some are not. Temporary housing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is being planned but is getting blowback from some residents.
Empathy is not coming to the fore. It is a sad deal.
Gordon Jones
Gridley, Calif.