(Editor’s Note: This is the first week of using letters sent in by Escalon High School students as part of a class project. Look for a few letters each week in The Times throughout December.)
What Is Justice?
Dear Editor,
Society has all different opinions in terms of justice being served. There are many crimes which are so inhumane it is hard to believe it didn’t come out of a horror film itself. People like that have no empathy, no remorse, no care for anyone but their own selfish needs and desires. The death penalty is justified through the crime he or she committed. People like that do not deserve exoneration for those horrendous crimes against peers around them.
Ted Bundy was one of the most harrowing killers of all time. Would you think based on the details of his crimes, life without parole was enough? He is just one of the many examples of people who deserve nothing less than life. Crimes like that cannot be changed or forgiven to those who have lost people in such ways. Life is a precious gift and for them taking away that gift they do not deserve it themselves.
The death penalty is something that should be used only where there is really no sympathy or hope left for the convict. Keeping the federal death penalty gives the families closure to the loss of a loved one for the acts brought against them. It is a demanding topic and a lot to think about, but the death penalty is used for justice and justice only.
Abigayle Flynn
Bullying Through Social Media
Dear Editor,
Social media can be a good or bad thing for kids these days. But it is even worse when kids start to get bullied through it. The effects that kids have due to bullying through social media is horrible. These kids that are bullied can be going through depression, anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem and school phobias.
These effects are not good for kids because then all that can lead to suicidal thoughts and other factors. It can also lead to having a bad performance during school because most kids stop attending due to not wanting to get bullied anymore. Most parents don’t even know that their kid is being bullied, maybe because they are too scared to talk to an adult. They should be able to trust adults and talk about what is wrong or bothering them.
A solution to stop bullying through social media would be to block the person from wherever app they are doing it through. Another solution should be getting educated on how to stop bullying and being able to get help from an adult. Getting help from an adult and talking about what is happening is very helpful because it can relieve their anxiety. A solution we can all work on if we are getting bullied is to speak up because if we don’t it can get even worse.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline Lizarraga Salas
Focus On Homelessness
Dear Editor,
A major issue or problem in today’s day and age in America is the increasing amount of homeless people. I know from first hand witnessing people close to me go in and out of homelessness. My family is originally from Utah, we moved to California to start a new life. My father moved shortly after us. He had trouble keeping a job for a long time, so he went homeless many times after another. I think we can help solve this problem by lowering home and apartment prices, or even building more homeless shelters where they can get help and assistance.
Many people don’t realize that people they see sitting on the curb were once “normal” people. They are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters. A majority of homeless are also war veterans who fought so me and you could wake up and not worry about being under attack. The least we can do is offer our support.
Sincerely,
Hunter Budd
Take Steps To Deal With Drought
Dear Editor,
We’re in a drought … again! In local irrigation districts, some of us have more water than others, and we have yet to build more water storage. California is entering another drought and still, no one has put any money into building more reservoirs. In fact, after or even during our last drought, no one thought to build more reservoirs just in case of another drought, which was highly likely considering California’s history of prevalent drought conditions! We need a statewide initiative to fund more water holding infrastructure, so we’re prepared for future dry periods, enabling us to collect water during wet winters.
At this time, the upper part of the state is in a drought just as much as the other parts of the state. That says a lot considering that the northern half of the state supplies water to the south, using our current water catch and delivery system.
A water shortage affects families who depend on groundwater and wells to get their water. A water shortage affects Agriculture, as farmers depend upon the water for livestock and crops. A water shortage affects our state’s ecosystems, including fish and their habitats.
Why can’t our state for once plan ahead and do something that benefits all stakeholders? Investing in water-housing infrastructure would not only allow us to save water in times of plenty, but a project of this magnitude would create jobs while protecting farms, families, and even the fish! Overall, our state needs to enact a plan to build more reservoirs to store water from our next wet winter.
Sincerely,
Molly Terpstra
