Letters to the Editor

Grassroots support for Elizabeth Warren on Cape Cod: Strong and effective [Letter]

Editor's note: The following letter was received in response to a  recent political post by Walter Brooks entitled "Brown vs. Warren: Deja vu all over again?".

To the Editor:

As a Cape Cod resident, Elizabeth Warren supporter, and active volunteer, I was baffled by the article written by Walter Brooks in Cape Cod Today. Over eight months before the election and only four months into her candidacy the Warren campaign has held over 30 grassroots events on the Cape and Islands, including canvasses, organizing meetings, house parties and phone banks. These events demonstrate the immense grassroots support that Elizabeth has on the Cape and Islands.

On Saturday, I was one of over a dozen volunteers, many of whom were senior citizens, who went out and knocked doors in Hyannis (in comfortable 40 degree weather). I hear there were a dozen more of us in Yarmouth Port at the same time. We spoke with voters who did not vote in the 2010 election to discuss the importance of supporting Democrats this time around and, in particular, the candidacy of Elizabeth Warren. Our group talked to nearly 50 voters, collecting 46 signatures to get Elizabeth Warren on the ballot. Personally, I found the experience of knocking on doors and talking to voters heartening, fun, and came out of it feeling as though I really made a difference.

If you’ve heard Elizabeth Warren’s story of how she successfully organized people to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, it is clear that she knows how to organize and is committed to running a campaign that engages volunteers in communities across the state. This is the kind of campaign Elizabeth is running, and I, for one, am eager to be a part of it.

As a proud Warren supporter and member of the Barnstable Democratic Town Committee, I am ready to work to make sure she is elected in whatever way I am able when I am asked by her campaign, and making sure that her message gets across to my fellow Cape Codders seems to me like an effective use of my time.

The successful coordinated campaign run in 2010 when the Governor was at the top of the ticket is a prime example of the success of direct voter contact on the Cape. If we are going to pull off a victory for Elizabeth Warren in November, we are going to need to continue to focus on the person-to-person contact that wins elections, one vote at a time. As an older population, if we can’t knock on doors – let’s make phone calls. Either way, I will work against the assumption that seniors don’t have the ability to make a difference in this election.

At the organizing meeting I attended last month in Barnstable, sponsored by the Barnstable Democratic Town Committee, (a meeting which, I’m told, was one of eight meetings held in the month of January throughout the Cape and Islands that attracted over 500 individuals in total), the local staff member present emphasized the importance of our local voices speaking on behalf of Elizabeth – in casual conversations, at local house parties, through phone calls and through knocking on doors. Many people at the Barnstable meeting eagerly volunteered to help with these tasks. If you’ve heard Elizabeth Warren’s story of how she successfully organized people to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, it is clear that she knows how to organize and is committed to running a campaign that engages volunteers in communities across the state. This is the kind of campaign Elizabeth is running, and I, for one, am eager to be a part of it.

C. Gerry McGowan
West Barnstable, MA

Rifkin on LaRouche: Pot calling the kettle black [Letter]

Editor's note: The following letter was received in response to a recent photo essay submitted by Paul Rifkin depicting LaRouche supports outside the Falmouth Post Office on Saturday.

To the Editor:

Isn’t this a case of “the pot calling the kettle black”?  One person’s idea of what constitutes a crackpot group might just be “Occupy Falmouth”, Paul.  That being said, I have no idea what the LaRouche movement is all about but I know they are not alone in wanting to get Obama out of office. 

Isn’t it wonderful that we live in a country like USA where everyone can have their say?

Elizabeth Meredith
Mashpee, MA

Scott Brown: a regular guy and it isn't an act [Letter]

Rebuttal to your Brown vs. Warren Politics Etc.

Just take a look at all the corruption on Beacon Hill

By Brian Sullivan

After reading Mr. Brooks opinion about Deja Ja Vu and the Warren campaign for United States Senator I couldn't  help but respond.

The fact that she teaches Law at Harvard is  tantamount to telling us she is a pompous ass.I am like many people, I am tired of the Red State, Blue State, Us vs Them, Rich vs Poor, noise, because it isn't really about any of that, it's all about power.  Like many voters at one time I thought that people went into politics to serve as a civil servant, but now that I am older I know that most people don't.

Just take a look at all the corruption on Beacon Hill in Boston, patronage jobs, bribes, and corruption are constantly in the news. Federal indictments are certainly going to come from the probation scandal and three former House Speakers are already convicted felons. Do I have to mention former Senate President Billy Bulger?

Sadly, I think it's always been this way or worse, and I think the only reason anybody would want to run for a Federal office is either they have a massive self serving ego like Donald Trump or the corruption is one hundred fold more lucrative at the Federal level, or both.  Rarely are we lucky enough to get a candidate that is neither, but we did, two years ago.

It is my opinion that the now Senator Scott Brown ran for the United States Senate against the mighty Martha Coakley because some Republican had to. I doubt he ever dreamed he had a shot at winning because up until then politicians were picked and then elected. But who elected them and why? The people who drive pickup trucks and wore leather jackets elected them because

We have always been told that the Democrats stand up for the little guy and that Republicans are for the rich.   Yet the little guy was Scott Brown, and he drove a pickup truck and wore a leather jacket and,he wasn't rich. Scott Brown was a regular guy and it wasn't an act.  He ran a great campaign and worked hard. Working hard is something many voters admire in other people and acting as if you are entitled like Martha Coakley is something WE despise.

Aren't Harvard and Yale grads mostly responsible for the mess the country is in now?That brings us to today where Mr. Brooks a Democrat, wonders why people are not connecting with Mrs. Warren and I think I have a pretty good idea why. Mrs. Warren we are told,  is from humble beginnings, yet we are constantly reminded that she is a Harvard Law Professor.

Aren't Harvard and Yale graduates mostly responsible for the mess the country is in now? Am I supposed to be impressed by the fact that she is paid close to a half million dollars a year to teach law to a bunch of silver spooned trust fund kids? Seriously? As far as the average voter is concerned the fact that she teaches Law at Harvard is  tantamount to telling us she is a pompous ass. 

She's never won a primary but she's the front runner? Talk about arrogance.

So far Joe III's greatest accomplishment is to be born with the last name KennedyMrs. Warren hasn't won a primary to any elected office ever in her life, yet she is the front runner in the Democratic Party for a United State Senate seat. Talk about arrogance and entitlement. Are we the masses just supposed to follow the lead of the rich out of staters that have mostly contributed to her war chest without asking why?

To make matters worse another silver spooned, trust fund Harvard Law grad is running for Congress. Like Warren he has never won a single election. So far his greatest accomplishment to date has been to be born with the last name Kennedy, yet I feel he like he has already been anointed Congressman by the news media.

Does anyone wonder why the country is in massive debt? Why unemployment is at an all time high and the once American dream of owning a home has become a bad joke?

I don't, and that's why Mrs. Warren isn't connecting with the average voter, she represents everything that is wrong with our political system.

Brian Sullivan
South Yarmouth, MA

Rep Vieira calls NStar agreement a "backroom deal" [Letter]

Cape Representative’s Statement on the Patrick agreement with NSTAR

By David T. Vieira

This seems like extortion to me.  I don’t appreciate the Governor playing Chicago-style politics with the future of Cape Cod and the Islands.  If NStar wanted to purchase CapeWind power, NStar has always been free to make such a purchase.  The fact the Governor held the NStar merger hostage to the CapeWind power purchase just doesn’t pass the smell test.

These types of backroom deals are exactly what enrage taxpayers and should no longer be accepted.

David T. Vieira
State Representative
Third Barnstable District

All the "shunning" in the world won't help someone heal [Letter]

My "sex offender house mate" is my fiancee

I knew my husband was going to kill me, I just didn't know when.

By Shana Rowan

Mr. Looney, I take serious offense to the entirety of your post "Shun the Sex Offender." If you are going to use my life as the basis for shunning sex offenders from society, at least make sure you understand the the situation first.

A life driven by vindictiveness and revenge is a sad, angry life and one I do not envy.My "sex offender house mate" is my fiancee. We have known each other for over 10 years, before he was arrested. He is the kindest, gentlest, most considerate individual I have ever met in my life. He has endured unspeakable abuse from virtually every person who was ever supposed to protect him, or help him, or teach him.

Despite that, he is doing everything he can to become a better person and loves me in a way that no one ever has. In fact, his presence is likely the only reason I am alive.

As a victim of severe domestic violence, I was at a point several years ago where I knew my husband was going to kill me, I just didn't know when. My fiancee is the only reason I was able to gather the courage I needed to leave. Without him, I am absolutely certain I would be dead right now.

When I explained that he committed his crime in the midst of being severely abused, it wasn't mean as an excuse. It is the truth, and it is extremely relevant to what eventually occurred. Had he merely been an abused child, whose mother physically, emotionally and sexually abused him, and did not teach him or show him any of the basic concepts and skills that we learn as children, you would likely agree that he could possibly "would suffer a lifetime" because of it.

But because at age 12 - an age where we are ALL awkward, confused, and battling feelings and urges we don't understand - he made a choice out of desperation, lack of options and hopelessness - he is now worthy of societal shunning?

He was not an adult man who preyed on a child - he was a desperate CHILD himself who had no one to help him, and who no one stood up for. At what point does someone go from being a terrified kid experiencing something awful and scary all alone, to scum that deserves lifelong punishment? And why does all the good that he has accomplished since then go unnoticed? Do I deserve a life without the most wonderful person in the world, because he made a mistake many years ago?

I'm curious - did you bother to read any of the recidivism studies I provided (Letter: You were dead wrong about sex offender recidivism rates)? I'm not "boasting" about those statistics - they are simply the truth. It's not just one study, it's not just five. The research indicating low recidivism is boundless. And no, low re-offense rates are not due to the registry or to restrictive legislation.

In fact, many studies indicate that the endless restrictions faced by registrants when they re-enter society - where they can live, where they can work, if they can even find work - not to mention the public humiliation, privacy invasion, and threat of vigilante justice - the "shunning" you suggest - actually lead to higher re-offense rates. Where is the incentive for them to become contributing citizens?

Myself and others like me - those fighting for laws that reflect facts, not emotion, and raise awareness among people like you - do not support sex crime. We do not condone it. We do not believe it shouldn't be punished. We do believe that people who commit sex crimes should be treated just as "well" as other criminals upon their release, and given the same opportunities that our constitution says they have. We believe in this not just for the registrants, but for their families. Even if you can't change your opinion of sex offenders, you cannot deny the existence of their loved ones.

You cannot deny that they suffer dearly as a result of these laws and the massive misconceptions held by the public, as evidenced by your post. I am living, breathing proof that these laws hurt more than they help. And yes, I've been a victim myself. But you know what? My recovery, just like victims of any type of violent crime, should not and is not based on the punishment of someone else. All the "shunning" in the world won't help someone heal.

A life driven by vindictiveness and revenge is a sad, angry life and one I do not envy.

Sincerely,

Shana Rowan
Oneida, NY
www.endsexcrime.org
www.iloveasexoffender.blogspot.com

Letter to the Editor: Blogging with a broad brush challenges validity

Editor's note: The following letter was received in response to a recent post by blogger Sandwich Watchdog. Blogs such as Sandwich Watchdog are the property of the blogger and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CapeCodToday.com, eCape or the editors of the site.

Editor,

Please check the factual information of the blog you post as the Sandwich Watchdog.

Recently posted:

Unfortunately, 79% of SANDWICH residents disagree with the last three comments. Also, to suggest bullying at SHS is committed only by students who reside outside the community is just silly.

All we can say in response to the last few comments is: 76% of your neighbors disagree!

These statements imply that the survey included the entire town when the responses were around 80 hardly a statistical volume to make valid for such statements, especially when you need not be a Sandwich resident to take the survey. 

Love the Watchdog but loses validity when uses such broad brush painting.

Respectfully,

Name withheld by request

EDITOR's Note: See the Sandwich Watchdog's response here.

Letter: You were dead wrong about sex offender recidivism rates

Sex offenders have one of the lowest recidivism rates

By Shana Rowan

I am the founder of ESCAPE, a group that aims to prevent sex crime through awareness, prevention and education and advocates for sex crime legislation reform. I just finished reading your articles, "Is Plymouth area a sex offender haven?" and "What attracts attracts 271 sex offenders to this area" with great interest.

Personal note to you Mr. Brooks:

Your article struck a nerve with me for more than one reason.
   I grew up going to the lower Cape for as long as I can remember, and it is one of my favorite places in the world.
   I also happen to share my life and home with someone who is a registered sex offender for a "crime" he committed as a child, after suffering severe abuse himself.His crime was not forcible or violent.
   We went to Cape Cod together for the first time this past summer, with my entire family, and it was an absolutely wonderful experience not just for our family, but for him in particular.
   His childhood and adolescence was so abusive and neglectful... he had never even been on a vacation, been to the beach, or ridden a wave.
   I have never seen him more happy than the week we spent in Eastham. When I read your article, and especially the assertion that sex offenders don't change, I almost cried. I read things like this every day and usually it doesn't get to me, but having had such a wonderful experience in that particular area with my boyfriend, and hearing such a hateful reaction to people with the sex offender label, it was very hurtful.
   I hope I've made some sort of impact on your opinion on sex offenders. It's not an easy subject nor is it easy to discuss. As I read the first paragraphs of each article, I thought you were actually going to offer an insightful piece as to why people convicted of sex crimes might live in an area as pleasant as Cape Cod.

You began by pointing out that people attempting to recover from drug and alcohol abuse frequently situate themselves in relaxing, cathartic locations such as Cape Cod as they begin to rebuild their lives, and that they are "willing to admit they have a problem, and then be prepared to do whatever it takes to stop." Then you went on to state that "sex offenders, on the other hand, seldom if ever stop their predatory and heinous actions".

Mr. Brooks, you could not be more wrong. Sex offenders have one of the lowest recidivism rates (3.5-8.5%) out of all other felonies, including violent ones.

In fact, the drug and alcohol abusers you seem to welcome into your community are far more likely to commit another drug- or alcohol-related crime than a sex offender is to commit another sex crime. Of the children and adults who are sexually assaulted, the overwhelming majority of them (about 80% for adults and 93-97% for children) know their attacker - and they have never been convicted of a sex crime, nor are they on any registry. Low recidivism and familiarity between victim and abuser are both widely documented by the federal and state governments, as well as numerous independent researchers.

Publishing such a biased statement and misleading people into thinking it's true is not helping to keep our communities safer. Perhaps you are unaware that not all "sex offenders" are child molesters or rapists. Many other crimes having nothing to do with sexual violence or children - including flashing, streaking, peeping, teenagers in consensual relationships and more - can label someone as a sex offender. In fact, a quarter of all registered sex offenders ARE children under 18. Most former offenders have families and children, and statements like the one you made hurt them, too. They suffer the same public shaming and ostracizing as the offenders themselves.

The only way we will prevent sex crime is by educating ourselves and our children and being aware of the facts. Please visit my website's "Recidivism" section where you will find many recidivism studies conducted by various groups as well as sources for all statistics cited in this article. There are many other studies full of information and statistics that would probably be of interest to you as well as your readers.

Hopefully, I've shed a bit more light on a very serious and widely misunderstood subject.

Sincerely,

Shana Rowan
Founder, ESCAPE
92 Seneca Ave
Oneida, NY 13421

Baiting coyotes should be illegal

To the Editor:

Did you know that it is legal in the state of Massachusetts to draw coyotes into your neighborhood by baiting them? Did you know that it is also legal to bait them to your home and then shoot them from out your window with a valid hunting license?

I recently found out that a radio collared eastern coyote was lured to a home with bait (various meats). This coyote was lured to this home during the evening, when it began to eat from the bait pile. It was killed by a gun from approximately 150 feet from this home. It was found on top of the bait pile the next day. No one had taken the coyote for its pelt or tagged it.

I find this practice alarming! Is this happening in your neighborhood to coyotes that are not radio collared? Are you finding bait piles near your home or in other areas of your neighborhood? Do you see bait piles off conservation trails you live near? Does it seem like there is an increase in the number of eastern coyotes you normally see in your neighborhood? Are you hearing more shooting at night? Is it happening close to your home?

I thought that the first rule I ever heard and read when it comes to avoiding human and coyote conflict, coming from a state biologist was “NEVER feed a coyote.”  Baiting is feeding a coyote!

I have learned that feeding coyotes brings them closer to us.  This is a dangerous practice as it brings them closer to our pets and our children.

I am the mother of a small child, close to the age of the 9-year-old girl who was attacked by a coyote in Haverhill, Massachusetts. I have learned that feeding coyotes brings them closer to us.  This is a dangerous practice as it brings them closer to our pets and our children. Why would we want to cause these kinds of conflicts with wildlife if we can avoid them? When coyotes are left to hunt for their wild prey, conflicts with humans are seldom.

During the day, my daughter and I have noticed an increase in coyotes traveling up our dirt road to access another neighborhood, which runs parallel to some woods. There are many homes very close to this small wooded area. We have noticed many shots fired during the evening. We still hear howling, but the shots silence that. I have since become extremely concerned after learning about the legalities involving baiting at home and shooting on one’s property. We have walked those woods in the fall and found piles of fish and bones in the woods not 500 feet from homes bordering them. This makes me very weary.

We should all remember 9-year-old girl who was bitten in the arm by a coyote in Haverhill, Mass. She must be traumatized. She is undergoing treatments, including treatments for rabies.  When Massachusetts Fish & Wildlife visited her yard to see the scene of the attack, they found food everywhere. There were birdfeeders that not only had birdseed, but were drawing rodents and other small mammals, the coyote’s favorite foods. The biologists went on to find apples scattered on the ground in the yard as well as a neighbor who kept chickens in an unsecured pen.

The biologist said that coyotes do NOT distinguish between who gives them food and why. The biologist’s advice regarding keeping coyotes out of the neighborhood and the recent conflict: “Shut down the food and they will go somewhere else.”

So, I ask you, if the biologist recommends not feeding coyotes, why is it legal to bait them into our neighborhoods throughout Massachusetts? I, for one, as a Mother and a pet owner, want to see baiting of coyotes made illegal! I encourage all parents, pet owners, and concerned citizens to contact their legislators to help change this law. I also think we should ask our towns to help us become more educated on ways to keep coyotes in the wild.

Spring is coming, and with it, coyotes will be bringing pups into the world. This means that coyote parents will be hunting to feed their pups. In addition, spring is a time for our children and pets to start playing outside and enjoying the warmer weather. So, NOW is the time to change this law!

Keep coyotes wild and out of the neighborhood. Make baiting illegal now!

Rebecca Ayres Mullin
Eastham, MA

Call to disband state historical commission shortsighted

To the Editor:

The January 17 editorial "Disband the State Historical Commission" references the Commission's "campaign against the state’s economy" without recognizing the economic stimulus that this government body brings to the Commonwealth. While regulations regarding development review may be vague, the benefit that the Massachusetts Historical Commission brings to our state through the Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit is undeniable. As new statistics from Preservation Massachusetts point out, from 2004 to 2008, $74 million in state historic tax credits leveraged close to $1 billion in private investment for the state, creating over 12,000 jobs.

 This tax credit program, managed by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, creates an incentive for developers to rehabilitate historic buildings rather than tear them down. Programs like this make the historic cores of our towns and cities attractive to developers, and discourage the suburban sprawl that we see so much of on Cape Cod. Historic tax credits put people to work on projects that improve communities.

 The January 17 editorial state, “Every job in Massachusetts… brings with it both tax revenue and spending in local economies.” The Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit helped to create 12,000 jobs in four years in our state, so we should be SUPPORTING the work the of the Massachusetts Historical Commission with this program. A call to disband the Commission is simply shortsighted.

Paul Joseph
West Yarmouth, MA

Maloy clarifies Romney Pink Gay Pride poster issue, sort of

Aaron suggested it, but Romney staff created it

Says Rick Perry and Rick Santorum are hateful targeting of minorities

By Aaron Maloy

I did NOT make the pink flyer.

It was my idea, but I did not design or produce the flyers. My involvement was in suggesting that the campaign demonstrate goodwill to the gay community during gay pride. It was my idea, but I did not design or produce the flyers. I did help another intern, a staffer, and a volunteer hand out the flyers.

I think that Romney is a very fair person, and definitely the most competent candidate in the race. There is no question about that. Unlike the other candidates, he holds traditional views about marriage without demonizing a minority. 

The flyer was not an endorsement of gay rights. I interpreted it as more of a sign of goodwill toward fellow people (whether they are gay or straight), which is in stark contrast to Rick Perry and Rick Santorums hateful targeting of minorities.