Editor’s note: The following letters to the editor were written by students in the 8th-grade accelerated reading program at Carrie Ricker Middle School in Litchfield. Students were asked to respond to stories they read in the Sun Journal
DA’s mistake

I am responding to the article “State DA’s oppose casino question” (Sept. 9). The story was about how the Maine Prosecutors Association unanimously voted against the $650 million casino in southern Maine. They said that it would raise the crime wave, but I see it differently.

They didn’t even think about all the good things that can come out of a casino. Hundreds of new jobs will be created in the state of Maine. That means the unemployment rate will drop. Plus, with a casino, we could get money to stay in this state, and other people would come here to gamble. I know lots of people who go out of the state to gamble. If people are going to gamble anyway, shouldn’t that money be kept in our state? That means the money goes to schools and organizations that need it as well.

I think there should be a casino in southern Maine. In order to prevent a rise in crime, some controls could be established. Gangs don’t happen because of casinos being build. They happen because they have nothing to keep them out of trouble, but there is a solution. Make jobs for them and they will not be involved in crime and a casino would fix that.

There would be hundreds of new jobs for everyone. They said embezzlement would happen way too much, and perhaps that could happen, but I believe that the good far outweighs the bad.

Heather White
Fine stowaway

I have written this letter to state what my thoughts are about Mr. McKinley and how he shipped himself from New York to Texas (Sept. 10).

I don’t think he should have been arrested for shipping himself from New York to Texas. In fact, I think he should be rewarded. Not only did he help us raise the security for our airports, he also reminded us that we cannot be too cautious.

Sure, he may have tried to cheat the airline out of a few hundred dollars, but wouldn’t it be more reasonable to just fine him?

I would just like to ask one more question, are our airliners still safe?

Gage White
Tanning trouble

I am responding to the article “Inside tanning among teens raises concern,” (Sept. 9) and would like to say bravo!

I am a teen myself and am totally against tanning, whether it’s teens doing it, or older adults. Obviously if people get burned and sometimes seriously hurt by natural sunlight, then artificial light isn’t going to be any better.

When I think about this topic, I just ask myself, “Is tanning really necessary to succeed in life?” Every time I answer the same way, no.

Sure, everyone wants to be like J. Lo, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jordon or even Arnold Schwarzenegger, but most of the time it doesn’t happen. The thoughts of being cool or looking attractive is only set into teens’ minds by peer pressure. That goes for every other thing adolescents are pressured into, including smoking, drinking, violence or even suicide. Although teens may feel pushed into doing something uncomfortable, it all comes down to their choice.

If teen tanning is doing damage, not only now, but in the future, then why allow it? If teens aren’t seen as being responsible enough to choose whether they can smoke or drink, then why let them choose to do something that is just as harmful? I believe that there should be some kind of restriction on this. I don’t mean it has to be made into a law, but something needs to change. More warning signs and labels should be given. Ads or commercials for tanning places should be directed more toward older people. Then, if government action is made, once teens are allowed to make their own decision about tanning, hopefully they’ll have already changed their minds. In the meantime, they can hit the beach (with sun screen!)

Lindsay Heald
Safe homes

I am writing in response to the article “Everything is ruined” by Scott Taylor, in which an apartment building’s roof in Lewiston collapsed leaving 43 people without shelter (Sept. 5). I’d like to start my letter by stating my sympathy for the people forced out of their apartments. It must be horrible to have all your possessions just destroyed. That’s like losing all the things you’ve worked to pay for.

Apparently, some concrete clogged the pipes that brought the water from the roof drains to the city storm sewer, and heavy rain flooded the drains, which caused the water to back up onto the roof. At 11 p.m., a third floor tenant noticed a small leak in the ceiling and called the property managers. She was given a bucket and was told it would be checked out the next morning.

This is where the whole thing could have been stopped. People need to take charge. People need to take the precautions necessary to manage a building containing many people. There is no room for mistakes or shoddy work. The builders need to take charge and do the things they need to do to make the apartment building safe for all tenants. While inspecting the building to make sure it wouldn’t flood again, I believe one man stated. “But they are OK. We checked them over pretty carefully, and they don’t have the same problems.”

If this had just been done in the first place, the situation wouldn’t have occurred. People need to go to all measures to make places safe and habitable.

Harry Mickalide
Good job

I’m an 8th-grade student in Litchfield, and I’m writing in response to the article “Thousands give in toy run” (Sept.8). Good job! What a good thing to do for those who have less. We are proud to be Americans with you. Many who could help and give choose not to.

Oh, and what a good, exciting way to do a job well done. Harleys are fun and everybody would want to see a motorcycle drive by with Winnie the Pooh on the back seat, not to mention the thousands that followed. It’s like a parade but priceless. It makes Maine people so wonderful and down to earth, literally, thundering down the highway. Gov. John Baldacci did great work along with all the others. “Born to be Wild,” and so will those children on Christmas morning.

Chelsey Hill
Wrong stand

I recently read “A farmer’s tale” and was extremely disappointed (Sept.7). Why would the community of Farmington stand behind Joshua Osborne, 22, when he is accused of attempted murder?

No matter what the circumstances, taking or trying to take another person’s life is morally and ethically not right. Did the community lose all sight of this? No matter what the justification this man had for seeking revenge or perhaps stopping the sale of the farm, trying to kill someone, of which he is accusd, isn’t right by any means or on any level. This community may need to re-read the U.S. Constitution, attend a church service or talk to a qualified professional for a better understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

Daina Walko
Opinions hurt story

In the article “Sox jump all over Pettitte, Yanks,” the Sun Journal made it very clear that the Red Sox beat the Yankees. And though this message was clear, I could not help but wonder if you were contradicting yourself throughout the rest of the article. As a sports fan and viewer, I envisioned this article to be about the positive victory of the Red Sox over the Yankees.

However, as I read on, I could not help but notice some of things said connected to Manny Ramirez’s name. When he was first mentioned, such words appeared as “absent minded,” “center of attention as he missed last weekends series” and “too weak.”

It appears to me, that though the Red Sox obviously won, the Sun Journal can still find room to criticize their left fielder. This is where I believe you are contradicting yourself. The title clearly states that the Red Sox won, but you are making them a losing team in dedicating an entire article to criticizing one of the players.

For myself as a reader, this indicates that more is being said here than the simple facts of a baseball games. I should hope that in the future there will be less opinion and more facts.

Chris Ellis
Time to come home

I am writing in response to “Bush: Iraq victory crucial” (Sept. 8). President Bush is asking Congress for $87 billion to help rebuild Iraq. I think that since this is more than he originally asked for, Congress should not grant the extra money. What exactly would that $87 billion be for? More tanks? Guns? Or just more money to ship more people over to Iraq. Last May, major combat was over in Iraq, according to President Bush. Now in his address to the nation speech, he now is asking for $87 billion more after the war is over. I just don’t understand that.

Now, he is also making more soldiers stay a longer time in Iraq. Some were originally supposed to be home last February, now it’s September and they can’t go home yet. Most of the Iraqis would like us to go home, and I know the loved ones of soldiers would like their sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, husbands and wives back.

I am not saying that the war was a terrible idea, but since the major combat was over back in May, I think soldiers should just come home. We drove Saddam Hussein out of power and have started to rebuild. Now we should let the Iraqis have control of their own country. As long as we stay there, more soldiers will die and more Iraqi’s will die, and more combat will have to be fought.

“The Middle East will either become a place of progress and peace, or it will be an exporter of violence and terror that takes more lives of America and in other free nations,” President Bush said in his address. Americans are dying in Iraq and that seems like they are taking the lives of Americans.

I am not saying that President Bush is a bad president, he has had it hard with Sept. 11. I think that the war on terror is a good thing, but the war in Iraq is not the war against terror, it is war for greed and money. I think it is just time for the soldiers in Iraq to come home.

Matthew Rodney

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