Editor’s Note: We here at the West Bend News print all “Letters to the Editor” because we believe that everyone has a Constitutional right to freedom of the speech and press. In saying that, we do not hold agreement with the content that is printed. We are just the messengers. However, any letters that attack a person rather than the discussion will not be printed. The name of the person who wrote the letter is placed at the end of each article. To be considered for publication, letters must be no longer than 1000 words, and you must provide a name along with a phone number and/or address to confirm validity of content for our readership area. You can respond or submit a new letter by email, USPS or fax.
Responses need to be received by Friday at 5:00 pm to be considered for the next publication. We reserve the right to edit for length, content and worthiness.
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PO Box 1008
Antwerp, OH 45813
*RESPONSES/COMMENTS MUST BE KEPT CIVILIZED. If people are attacked rather than the topic at hand, the individual(s) will be removed and the thread will be brought down. To be heard, respect is required.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Stan, I can’t sit back and stay quiet after reading your letter to the editor from last week. I don’t understand your anger about George Floyd. This man was mercilessly and slowly killed on video by a cop. This happens so often that it seemed to have become normal until protests started to get radical changes made.
Now I understand that you’re white and grew up in an almost all-white town because I grew up in the same town, so you may not understand what’s really happening. But for you to be angry enough to call the Governor out and send a letter to the newspaper for everyone to see makes me wonder why? It seems that you are showing an example of ‘white privilege’. You’ve never had to worry about walking out of your house and jogging, driving, or shopping because of your skin color.
No, George Floyd was not a war hero and yes, he had made some mistakes in the past. Does that make it ok that he was killed? He had come to terms and had made changes in his life. George Floyd did not come up with a cure for cancer. Is it ok that he seems to be targeted and was murdered for trying to use a counterfeit bill? There is counterfeit money in circulation and we would never know if we had one. It is said that it was most likely a bill that he unintentionally was given and tried to use. No, George Floyd was not a Sunday School teacher. Is that the bar you hold up for good people? I don’t know many people that are; I’m certainly not and some ‘Christians’ have been the biggest hypocrites I know.
You called him a ‘meatball’ and called ‘a spade a spade’. This is an unfortunate term and I don’t know if you realize its racist history but as a ‘wordsmith’ I would hope you will think twice before using it again. You didn’t know George Floyd, but friends, family, and co-workers have called him gentle, kind, and he was a father to a loving 6-year-old daughter.
George Floyd IS a martyr. I’m sure he’d rather be living than be a martyr. Black families are enduring this reality every day and shouldn’t be. His name is now forever tied to a new global civil rights act. Just because someone’s skin isn’t the same color as yours doesn’t mean they’re not a human being. Just because someone’s hair style isn’t your style doesn’t mean they’re not a person. Just because someone doesn’t have the same abilities as you doesn’t mean they’re not someone’s child, mother, uncle, or friend.
I could not stay quiet after reading your letter because I am, quite frankly, disgusted by your anger, and silence is complicity. If you ever have to endure something as life-changing as losing a loved one to violence for matters that a white person would never bat an eye at, maybe you’d change your mind. You have an entitled attitude, saying that we ‘have our goals and marks a lot higher’. I guess you mean that anyone that has ever done anything wrong should not be held up as an example or doesn’t have a life that matters. Well, George Floyd is an example of the oppression of non-white people and the story needs told. George Floyd’s murder was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I beg of you to do some reading on the subject of black history, watch a documentary+, or anything else that informs you, as your letter made you look ignorant of the truth. Please look deep inside your soul to see why this has made you so angry and find some empathy and peace.
As an aside, I can imagine a lot of people in this area probably share the same ideals as Stan. I implore you to stop being angry about the protests and the idea that black, brown, yellow, red, and white people should all be treated the same. “Black Lives Matter” really means “Black Lives ALSO Matter As Much As Other Lives”. Please live your life; go spread kindness, not hate.
—Denise Reeb,
Antwerp, OH
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I have always asked the younger generation to stand tall for their beliefs- be proud of who you are and stand up for the things you believe in. In writing this response, I am practicing what I preach and I wish I had done so earlier.
I sat silent when an employee of the West Bend News, Stan Jordan, wrote on October 2, 2018, that he didn’t “care if they [addicts] die of infection, overdose, or any drug related usage.” This was not long after my husband’s cousin died of an overdose and our family was reeling in pain. Watching a loved one suffer through addiction is a pain I wish on no one. Each death represents a loss for someone. To have the paper and its employee publish such insensitive material is jaw-dropping. Yet it was printed and there are people following the paper who believe in the printed word. Is this really the example we want to set for future generations? Should they be taught that some lives aren’t worth fighting for?
As Mr. Jordan added about a habitual addict on December 24, 2018, “Look at all the families that went out of their usual life and helped him live. He didn’t give a hoot, he just wanted more drugs. Now, I didn’t know that man, but I just assume that he didn’t do too much for society in his way of life.” Mr. Jordan said in his own words that he DID NOT KNOW THAT PERSON. Every human has a backstory and we should have the grace and wisdom to realize life is not fair nor easy for everyone. My husband’s cousin was a father, a brother, a beautiful artist and musician, someone who always had a smile on his face. Yet according to Mr. Jordan, an addict can be reduced down to someone who just wants more drugs. To brush off a death due to addiction not only forgets that person is human but also loses sight of the love and pain that a person’s family has felt.
And yet, here we are again with the June 9th edition of the West Bend News and an open letter by the same Mr. Jordan. This time he targets George Floyd, who was killed after almost nine minutes of having a knee applied to his throat. Mr. Floyd could have been the most angelic person ever, or someone who lived a life full of regrets; either way, he did not deserve to die in the way that he did. Even if you do not agree with Governor DeWine’s moment of silence in George Floyd’s honor, calling someone less than a “pimple on a good Buckeye’s butt” is extremely heartless and disrespectful.
Yes, George Floyd served time in the past. Yes, George Floyd used drugs. George Floyd was not perfect (no person IS perfect), but according to his family members, he was trying to be a better man. Following the Golden Rule, we should try to treat one another the way we want to be treated. That includes those who are gone. Calling Mr. Floyd a “meatball” and “hoodlum” is cruel; I wouldn’t let my own children speak that way. Mr. Jordan wrote of our “triangle” as having high “goals and marks,” but I do not consider insensitivity to be a character trait worth following. I have personally found our communities to be filled with people always willing to help those in need. Mr. Jordan’s article would convince an unaware outsider that we do not care for other’s pain. We do and always have.
I will end by saying I did not want to write this letter. I know that Mr. Jordan has done many positive things for our community and he truly loves Antwerp. His articles about the history of Antwerp are interesting and often enlightening. However, his writings as mentioned above do not fall into the category of “Good News for Good Communities” (The West Bend News motto). I want us all to treat one another with respect and dignity. But if we stay silent in instances like this, those who speak will be the only voices heard. Yes, we have freedom of speech and freedom of the press, but those freedoms are not without consequences. I would hope that we Americans realize that America is hurting and that each American citizen matters, or none of us matter.
A concerned citizen,
—Jassmine Reyes,
Antwerp, OH
PLEASE READ THIS
By: Stan Jordan
In last week’s issue of West Bend News I wrote a Letter To The Editor about the people’s choice of a hero, now that is their choice of a hero, but it is my right to say I don’t agree with their choice.
For those to call that criminal a hero is their right, but I think that is a bad choice. There are thousands of black men who could be called heroes. Let’s name a few. Back in WWII, America supplied all the food, gasoline and armament to the troops in Europe. Well, after it got to Europe those supplies had to get to the front and right now. That was call The Red Ball Express and most of those boys were black. They had to drive day and night with little or no lights with a truck loaded with gasoline on a road full of shell and bomb holes. Everyone of those boys were heroes.
Then you had those Turkey airmen – all good pilots, and there are hundreds of good athletes that are black. I am proud of them because they use their God-given ability and went to college, got an education and some a lifetime profession. Basketball, baseball, football and other sports.
I just can’t accept that George Floyd as a hero, a martyr and I also think that a lot of other people don’t accept him as a hero, people of all races. I have known and heard of Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammed Ali, George Foreman, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Chase Young, JK Dobbins, Kobe Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott, Tyreek Hill, Michael Jordan. Some went from Ohio State to the NFL. Jordan was a stand out in basketball… a fine fellow.
See ya!
A CRITIQUE ON MY COLUMN
By: Stan Jordan
This is Friday, the 12th of June and about my column on Mike DeWine’s issue of all Buckeyes have a moment of silence for George Floyd, the “hero”. The returns are 7-1 that they agree with me.
I have not changed my mind, to me he is no hero, he is still a criminal. In my generation just because a man dies it does not change anything. He is still guilty and probably stepped on some people’s rights.
I have a letter from an Antwerp lady who certainly does not agree with me, but she wrote her name and that tells me she is real. She wrote a page telling me about my anger with Governor Mike DeWine, but doesn’t she realize it shows her anger over my anger on Mike’s suggestion?
She tore me apart on a couple of other things that she said I was wrong about. She said that term to “call a spade a spade” is racist. If she would look it up, it is from an old English term and I didn’t use anything, ever, as racist.
My forte is history and wild life, well, this is history right now, day and night. We will always remember these last couple of weeks and yes, it is mostly bad. Please look back to January 1st, 2020. This land was as close to utopia as it ever was or will be. I will never see it again, and maybe you won’t either.
People are demanding and getting a lot of changes, but to me this degrading of a policeman and their power is very wrong. Where you don’t have police protection and discipline, you have a mob. People are going stir-crazy and blame it on the police and ask for and demand…that to me is the wrong way.
There will be a trial on those policemen that went too far and killed George Floyd and that is what should be, but if I was the presiding judge at that trial, I would level a fine of millions on the news networks. They constantly showed those boys killing George over, and over and over, day and night and people soon got sick of it. To me the news people made George Floyd a hero, sorrow and sympathy because of the news.
Yes, another old saying, “The more you stir a bucket of crap, the more it is going to stink” and that is what we got here.
The lady has a right to disagree with me, but I won’t lower my standards to a lower degree.
That is one good thing about this great country, we can all say what we want.
See ya!
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
To Those Who Would Stand Against Liberty:
Recently, the West Bend News received a letter to the editor criticizing the paper for an opinion that has appeared in its pages. This person felt that it had abandoned its motto of “Good News for Good Communities”. I would like to remind everybody that opinion pieces are neither news nor reflect the views of the West Bend News, its owners or employees. In the same way that this person’s letter was not the opinion of the organization, however it will be published anyways, because the West Bend News believes in protecting the freedom of speech for all citizens. That doesn’t mean you have to like somebody’s opinion. But, if we all resort to oppressing other people’s views because we don’t like them, you will only create resentment.
If an opinion is so obviously incorrect, then sunlight is the best disinfectant. Only by exposing the bad opinions can we show that they are wrong. To attack the West Bend News for allowing that forum for discussion to take place is simply foolish. If somebody makes a post on Facebook, you don’t assume that their post reflects the views of Facebook. In the same way, the West Bend News is providing a place for the community discussion of ideas.
In summarization, please continue to share ideas with one another. Let’s all talk more and have better and healthier discussions. To attack the paper for allowing somebody to have a voice is silly. Simply provide your counter-opinion. The only way to get rid of bad ideas is to defeat them with good ideas, not suppress them, only tyrants suppress ideas.
—Jarrison W. Steiner
New Haven, IN
