NOT JINGOISTIC

Thank you for that excellent article (“More terrorist casualties,” Oct. 5-11).

I grew up in New York City and lived there until graduation from college, when I married a Philadelphian and moved. My parents still lived there, so I was back and forth at least once a month for many years.

I am horrified by the attack and I don’t think it has anything to do with the fact that I was born in NY. The Oklahoma bombing had a profound impact on me also.

On Sept. 11, one of my reactions was to want to go down to the basement and bring up my little flag, which I place outside on July Fourth. To me, it was a cloth to bind up this horrible wound that had been inflicted on America. It was a memorial to the victims, and a thank-you to the heroism of those who were at ground zero, working so feverishly and unselfishly.

I have felt enisled to a great extent since this act of terrorism, because I discovered that many of my friends (who are 10 to 20 years younger than I am) fit the category of people you’ve described in your article. I was at one gathering where two men said they found the “jingoism” of the flag displays extremely frightening and distasteful. I felt as though I’d been kicked in the head. I did counter their statements, but I must say it makes me see these people in a different light now. And I really don’t care to go near any of them at this particular time. I feel sore and battered as an American and I don’t want to hear any anti-American statements right now. I believe it’s a time for unity and healing. We can and should discuss different ways of doing things globally, but first things first. Yes, we are all world citizens, but we are also Americans, to my way of thinking. If we can’t get that through our heads, then we’re lost.

I have one dear friend who referred to the “pick-up trucks and SUVs with little flags on them.” This is classism, which I haven’t yet pointed out to this lovely do-gooder woman, who would be highly offended if anyone near her made any pronouncement that might be considered classism under normal circumstances. She doesn’t have a clue! And that’s another thing I find offensive: political correctness. I even remember the first time I heard the term. It smacked of fascism to me. And that is how I regard it. I do not participate in political correctness. It’s much too rigid.

I do think there’s a big difference between zealots and terrorists. To me, this was an act of war. Period. And that is one of the most horrifying things; this is the first time that an act of war has been committed on “our soil.”

I was born in 1937 and I have many memories of World War II. I also lived in a Jewish neighborhood, and after the war saw numerous people with tattooed numbers on their arms. It always gave me a chill, since I knew what that meant. Osama bin Laden is in the same category as Hitler as far as I’m concerned. He has publicly stated that he wishes death to all Jews and all Americans. That’s a pretty strong statement. There’s no room for conciliation or negotiation here.

So . . . your article certainly brought out lots of emotions in me. Thanks again, and perhaps I’m running with a “bad crowd.”

Margery Niblock

Portland

A BETTER MOUSETRAP

The power of the media is simply amazing. It can change attitudes, thoughts and ideas almost instantly. It is without question one of the greatest forces on earth.

So now the Portland Phoenix can join other publications who have taken their shot at DARE (“A few dare to question DARE,” Sept. 14). Why not? After all, because of DARE’s success what a better target?

Lance Tapley compares the program to the “Just say no” program of Nancy Reagan some years ago. That is NOT what the program is all about. He also quotes a professor from Southern Maine who claims that it actually teaches kids how to use drugs and get away with it. Are you kidding me? Is this statement accurate?

It is shocking that this paper would devote so much space to such an article. Our entertainment industry drowns our children everyday with horrible messages of destruction, death, violence, drinking, smoking, sex, and doing drugs but, that has no effect on kids. Right? Kids continue to do these things because DARE doesn’t work. We promote alcohol as if it were a god! Hey kids, look but don’t touch until you’re 21. Who are we kidding? Are we that naïve to think this is not having an impact on kids? Our music industry is about people who can swear, moan and groan, and sing the vilest of lyrics. But hey this has no effect on kids either, its DARE’s failure.

The video game industry is overrun with shoot ‘em up, destroy, blood, gore, kill, but no effect once again . . . Let’s attack DARE. Parents should read the book by David Grossman, Stop Teaching Our Children to Kill, if you think this is not accurate. Read this book and see what you think of video games then.

Everyone wants a silver bullet to the problem of drugs but that will never happen. No matter what drug program you teach, it must always contend with the above mentioned obstacles. And if you don’t think this stuff is having a huge impact on young children you have not been in a typical fifth grade classroom lately.

Of course the article failed to mention the numerous positive stories that have come out of DARE. The kids that got out of an abusive situation because of DARE and one of its lessons. Mr. Tapley’s article spoke a lot about money and the cost of the program. How about the child in California who escaped an abduction attempt on her life and credited some of what she learned in DARE as helping her. Can you put a price tag on that? How safer is a school because a police officer is in there most of the day?

I guess the overall issue that critics loose sight of is what DARE really is and what it is not. The E in DARE stands for education. So let’s say we have a 16 year-old that had DARE in fifth grade but now smokes a pack a day. When questioned, that 16 year-old says that they know they can get addicted, get cancer, get heart disease and/or emphysema and yet they CHOOSE to do it anyway. Education vs. choice. Educators, parents, coaches, principals, officers, counselors, all of us can only educate our children. All of us who work with or have contact with kids need to do our part. Don’t expect DARE to be the miracle cure. It is not and has never claimed to be.

Like DARE or hate it. Wherever you stand, you cannot say that we as DARE advocates and officers have been the ones in the stands yelling about what we should be doing with our kids. We have been in there, swinging the bat each and every time. We may not have always hit a homerun but we have always swung for the fence. And if you have a better idea to compete with all that our kids are dealing with and the media blitz they are being hit with, let’s have it. If you don’t, then please stop knocking us for trying. As the saying goes, if you can build a better mouse trap, then do it.

Officer Daniel L. Frazell

1ast President/National DARE Officers Association

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