Letters to the Editor
Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 25, 2015
OSU and COCC should join together
I have to praise Deborah Goodall’s “In My View,” from May 26.
She has stated what should have been obvious to OSU-Cascades planners years ago: A collaboration between OSU and COCC to jointly deliver the upper-division and graduate courses of a university, along with the lower-division, professional and technical offerings of a community college, makes both economic and educational sense.
Two stand-alone institutions is a huge waste of resources in order to perpetuate an inefficient delivery system.
The issue is more about OSU and COCC putting aside their individual turf and prejudice to create a cohesive and productive delivery of higher education services to the community.
Without that commitment, who builds what, and where, is relatively unimportant.
Education has changed and continues to change at a rapid rate. With the rise of Khan Academy, University of Phoenix and other virtual degree delivery systems, the world’s education is available to anyone with a personal digital device.
We have an opportunity with a true collaboration between OSU and COCC to reshape higher education and catch up to this changing environment.
Don’t miss it.
Jeff Rola
Tumalo
The ‘gun control’ myth
Yet another shooting in which some mentally deficient individual kills multiple victims. Unquestionably a tragedy for the victims, their family and friends, and predictably, followed immediately by the same political rhetoric about “needing more gun control.”
Sadly, the “gun grabbers” can’t even allow a decent period of mourning before jumping in and beating the same dead horse while emotions are raw.
We don’t need more laws on the books. We already have thousands of gun laws on the books. What this country needs is some serious “crime control.” We need authorities and politicians who are serious about prosecuting lawbreakers, particularly those using firearms. Too often, they fail to do so.
Any thinking person knows that all the “feel-good/more gun control” nonsense that is spewed about in these cases does nothing to prevent the bad guys from doing harm. They serve only to hamstring the law-abiding citizen who isn’t the problem in the first place.
“Gun control” is a fallacy designed to placate and mislead the uninformed while making political hay for those politicians who posture and holler at the expense of the victims.
It’s time we hold our elected officials responsible for constructing intelligent and effective processes to improve our mental health system and prosecute the criminals responsible for these tragedies.
More importantly, we must hold the justice system accountable for putting the criminals away where they can no longer harm people. That’s how you impact the problem; not by taking constitutional rights away from law-abiding citizens.
John Spellman
Bend
OSU-Cascades will be good for Bend
After 41 years in Bend, I think I have the right to weigh in on the OSU-Cascades campus debate.
I will happily wait an extra 20 seconds at the roundabouts knowing there are kids heading to school that will make a difference in my life and my children’s lives. We have a city council, a planning department and citizens that are behind having a four-year university in the heart of our city.
When I arrived in 1974, there were two African-Americans here, boarded-up buildings in downtown and nonexistent ethnic diversity. Now I can see a vision for Bend that brings us full circle: amazing choices for music; a culture other cities aspire to; and a vibrant community that will attract young people here. Through education, we will continue to make Bend even a better place to live.
I would happily live next to a college campus. Safe, secure, landscaped and full of people that will ensure my future.
I might even take a class there that will help me write a better letter.
Larry Kimmel
Bend