Rebuttal on Uphoff article
John Reed’s letter in last week’s Oakwood Register (Oct. 21) commenting on Dr. Jim Uphoff’s article which gave tacit support for Barack Obama based on his promise of funding for the arts was beautifully written, inspiring and right on the money. I am afraid that with his most recent article, Dr. Uphoff has, once again, made another weak argument for Obama by suggesting that in order to preserve a “true democracy” more federal funding and oversight is necessary to improve our failing public education system. Nothing could be further from the truth.
First of all, a “true democracy” is when two wolves and a sheep vote on what to eat for dinner. Fortunately our Founding Fathers knew better and formed our Nation as a Representative Republic (with no provision for federal involvement in schooling at all). That being said, experiments in American cities and even in other countries have shown that school choice and free-market competition for students (supported by McCain) result in a better educated public. Ironically, Barack Obama has strongly opposed “change” in our education system having called school vouchers “a fraud” and resisting school choice because it upsets his strong supporters in the enormously powerful teachers’ unions.
Consider this: if more funding was the answer for our public education problems, Washington DC, clearly one of the worst school systems in the country, would have a school system that puts Oakwood’s to shame. Fortunately, we know that parental involvement, strong family values and of course, Oakwood’s excellent teachers are all responsible for graduating nearly all of our students whose test scores are the envy of the State of Ohio, all the while spending about 40 percent less per student than does Washington DC .
Our failing education system must be addressed soon. A marginally educated workforce will not be able to compete and succeed in today’s global economy. Presently, 40 percent of American workers have not achieved enough success to pay any Federal income tax. Should that number grow to 51 percent, society’s remaining achievers will become the sheep.
John Reed, by acknowledging the proper function of government, clearly understands that our Constitution is among the greatest documents ever created by man, preserving our freedoms and liberties that rightly make our Nation the envy of the world. Barack Obama, as a Harvard educated, constitutional law professor, surely understands our Constitution too...sadly, he just disagrees with it.
George Thielen
72 E Thruston Blvd
Slight bias?
Your arguments for Issue 6 are quite slim compared to the arguments against Issue #6 - slightly biased, don’t you think???? It’s noticeable.
Thanks,
Lena Miller
Coat drive a success
Dear Oakwood Residents,
Thank you very much for donating your coats to the Oakwood coat drive this year.
With your generosity we were able to help over 100 coats to the Salud Community Clinic near Tipp City.
On behalf of the Golden Acres Ministrant Center that runs the Clinic I thank you again.
Sincerely,
Tim Judge OHS ‘11
Still neighbors after Nov. 4th
During this campaign season, I have watched signs sprout like dandelions from Oakwood lawns. My kids and I like to keep a tally as we drive around the neighborhood to see which candidate appears to be ahead that day. These days, many of us identify ourselves as Democrats and Republicans, but we are, ultimately, neighbors, and many of us would cite the friendliness of this community as one of the primary reasons we live here.
So imagine my consternation last Sunday when one of my fellow Oakwoodians told me to “Get off [his] property!! Idiot!!” My crime? Canvassing (at the homes of undecided or undeclared voters only) for Barack Obama. I had not tried to persuade this man to change his vote; I had merely rung his doorbell and introduced myself. That was enough for him to speak rudely to me and malign my intelligence.
Not long ago, I read a letter in this paper stating that not a single Obama supporter flies an American flag, which is ludicrous. I have flown a flag at my house every day for the last fourteen years, even (perhaps especially) during times when I strongly disagreed with our president.
This lack of civility is certainly not confined to one party, however. In last week’s Register, a letter writer who “sticks to the right of things” was justifiably angry that someone had placed an Obama sign in his yard while he was out of town. (He also asserted that this was typical of the Democratic party. I might counter that the hateful invective leveled at me last Sunday was typical of Republicans, but a single incident does not warrant that sort of generalization.) In any case, the individual who put the sign in his yard was, unquestionably, out of line.
It’s hard not to feel passionate about this election. The country is in crisis, and reasonable, intelligent people disagree about who is the best person to lead us out of it. What we forget, though, is that after November 4th, we will all have to live with the choice that is made. Viewing each other as enemies and adversaries will only deepen the divisions in our community and in our country, at a time when we can ill afford such rancor. Let’s remember to treat each other with civility and respect, because when this election is over, we will all be neighbors still.
To that end, when I see somewhere around Oakwood the man who kicked me off his front porch, I will smile and greet him politely, and I will resist telling him that his rudeness sent me right back to campaign headquarters to sign up for another shift.
Kate Geiselman
E. Dixon Ave.
Update on Senior Center proposal
Last week we introduced the idea of creating a Senior Center at the site of the former Routsong Funeral Home located at the corner of Oakwood and Irving Avenues. All responses have been eagerly positive; a senior center would seem to be an attractive addition for Oakwood’s seniors.
On Wednesday, Nov. 5, the Oakwood Planning Commission will hear the first request for a change in the zoning on the Routsong property from residential to neighborhood business. The request has been tabled until at least December’s Planning Commission meeting.
Since the city is soliciting suggestions from citizens on recreational opportunities, discussing the possibility of a senior center seems particularly appropriate. More information will be available next week.
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November 4, 2008
Volume 17, No. 45
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