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A dangerous misconception

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published February 7, 2007

Replace ignorance about homeless with caring Feb. 4, letter

The writer was responding to an earlier letter regarding homeless people panhandling at a local preschool, and of course, the mother of one of the students was alarmed by such.

The first paragraph of the letter really set me off! She writes, "I was appalled by the letter written by a woman distressed about the homeless at her preschool. What irritated me most was her perception of the dangers they posed to her safety. Unfortunately, this is a misconception held by most."

She goes on, "These unfortunate people, and, yes, they are people, are down on their luck. They are not rapists, murderers or robbers."

Well, how does this letter writer know that for sure? Can she personally vouch for the particular person(s) the original writer was referring to? Can she guarantee her or her child's safety?

Yes, I would bet that a good number of the homeless are harmless, helpless and down on their luck for one of the many reasons the letter writer stated, but to make such a generalized statement is irresponsible.

I can appreciate and applaud her for helping the homeless through King of Peace MCC. She very well may be familiar with the crowd that goes there for assistance, seeing some regular faces and getting to know them, but the homeless are a transient bunch. Just as with the wind, the bad seeds get blown into the mix, and the letter writer shouldn't make assumptions.

Stephanie Vigue, St. Petersburg

Get bayou project going 

Influential eyes take a look at trashy Clam Bayou Feb. 4, story

I'm sorry to say that my frustration in the delays for the Clam Bayou Restoration Project are equal to that of the city of Gulfport's as well as the newly formed Citizens of Gulfport Water Watch. This group is demanding that St. Petersburg and the Southwest Florida Water Management District get this effort going. It has been long planned but mired in the muck of politics and funding and, frankly, a lack of will to get the job done.

I've been a volunteer in this project for years, organizing a native plant work day to plant 568 native plants (purchased by Swiftmud, by the way), helping in the removal of invasive plants from the property, doing kayak clean-ups in these waterways (which are indeed fouled by city runoff), and have been birding on the site often to record bird species and other wildlife.

I know that Gulfport officials are correct in their assessment. Garbage does flow in voluminous amounts from St. Petersburg's stormwater runoff. It's the reason the project was initiated in the first place! For St. Petersburg officials to blame it on boater traffic is ludicrous and untrue. Go down to the estuaries after a rain and see for yourself.

St. Petersburg, get serious. Buy that mysterious "last property" that has been the excuse that I've gotten for a project delayed now for years. Sign the agreement with Swiftmud to confirm management issues and do the job. It's half-past midnight on this one - and vitally important to get done for Boca Ciega Bay!

Lorraine Margeson, St. Petersburg

Unity Day was tough one 

Tough crowd at bullying event Jan. 20, story

I would like to begin by thanking St. Petersburg Times staff writer Sheela Raman for writing a fair and unbiased account of our school's antibullying conference, "Unity Day."

We did play to a tough crowd, but that was the point. There would be very little value in holding workshops designed to diminish bullying in our school and only have students who are neither bullies nor bullied.

It was a long, hard day. Some activities worked and others did not. As one of the facilitators of the event, I learned a great deal about how to improve our next Unity Day event.

Although it was my hope that none of the participants would see the conference as a punishment, many did. It is true that we started with more than 70 students and ended with 50. Many were sent out for bad behavior; a few asked to go back to their classes. Each student who made it to the end signed an Anti-Bully Pledge. Those are the students that the next event will focus on.

The amazing thing that came out of this event is the enthusiasm of those who participated. Several students whom I did not know before that day now pass my door between classes and say, "Hi." A few even hug me.

Many students who were asked to leave expressed their disappointment at not making it to the end of the day. Four of the participants wrote and performed an antibully rap on the morning announcements the Monday after the event.

Even though the day was not as smooth and as easy as I had wished, it had great significance. The students who bully are not spoiled, pampered children who know better. Many of these students are only mirroring the behavior and attitudes that they see in the world around them. They truly do not know better. The conference may not have changed the behavior of every student who participated, but it did present alternatives to bad behavior.

Yes, I did feel that I was banging my head against a wall a good part of the day. The funny thing is I intend to continue to bang my head against that wall. The way I see it, one of two things will happen: Either I will crack my skull open or I will eventually knock down that wall.

I'm counting on bringing the wall down.

Deborah Stieglitz, Dunedin Middle School language arts teacher

Penny for Pinellas signs

Overpromoted 'Penny'

Within the last couple of days, I've noticed a glut of signs posted throughout the county "advertising" the good works the Penny for Pinellas is doing. And, I do mean glut. There is a small waterway near my home, and there are no fewer than four signs within one block!

It's odd that these signs appeared a day before I got my absentee ballot with only one measure on it: the extension of Penny for Pinellas. I support Penny for Pinellas, but I also question the purpose, expense and overabundance of these signs.

Donna Jones, Largo

[Last modified February 7, 2007, 07:24:10]