My name is Jazlinn Fisher and I am 7 and a half years old.

I have known Erin Mason all my life. He has been very supportive of our school activities and sport functions. He has always helped us in tee-ball, coach pitch, tennis, and making us better players.

I feel safe having him here and protecting us. Thank you.

Mayor’s message

The history of the Hood River Valley includes instances of government prejudice against historically marginalized groups of people. Citizens of good will, here and across our country, are working together to build a future free from the stain of bias and cultural insensitivity. Recent events in Hood River show how much work we have left to do.

When employees of our city act with bad judgment, then, their co-workers are discredited. We owe it to our many exemplary employees, and to our citizens, to hold everyone to a high standard.

We cannot require people to think certain ways, but we will absolutely insist that workplace and professional behavior by government officials and employees is free from bias. Any language or action that is meant to belittle individuals or groups of people, the use of racial or ethnic slurs, and derogatory comments about a person’s sexual orientation or gender are examples of deplorable behavior, incompatible with exemplary government service and will not be tolerated.

City staff leadership is carrying out stern and swift disciplinary measures that communicate and match the seriousness of the recent actions by members of the police department.

When we have learned how to treat everyone with dignity and respect and to protect all members of our community, especially the most vulnerable among us, we will have succeeded.

Until then, it is the responsibility of the City of Hood River, and by this I mean our elected officials, our administrators, our employees, and our citizens, to ensure that we hold each other accountable in our work toward this goal.

Support Mason

I respectfully disagree with a letter last week that stated that Erin Mason should resign or be fired.

This is obviously a troubled young officer who needs our support. People need to remember that police officers are human beings too, and they are subject to making the same mistakes that we are. It does not mean that he was not a good officer.

That being said, I do think some disciplinary action is in order as well as some cultural sensitivity training and alcohol treatment. People make mistakes and I think this young officer should be given the chance to redeem himself and prove himself worthy of wearing the police uniform.

This will obviously take time but I do think he should be given the chance.

Stand for freedom

Thank you for printing the picture of Lady Liberty from the July Fourth parade. It should be noted that she, along with the splendid fife and drum corps, led the prize-winning entry of the Columbia River Fellowship for Peace.

Behind her came a float carrying the U.S.S. Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) and marchers and bikers carrying the Bill of Rights — signs proclaiming freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the right to bear arms, habeas corpus and constitutional amendments allowing for women’s suffrage and abolition of slavery, among others. It was a positive message, and appropriate as a reminder of the founding ideals of our country done in a spirit of fun and celebration.

Beautifully designed by local artists and workers, the “U.S.S. Constitution” made us reflect not only on our ideals but on the ignoring and abuse of these ideals by the current gang of war criminals in the White House. Bush, Cheney and their minions have attacked civil liberties, occupied foreign countries and violated international law at will. We have a president who, according to a recent New Yorker editorial, is “callow, lazy and ignorant.” Independence Day should help us renew our struggle against the current administration.

We owe it to those who fought to uphold American ideals to create an America which loves freedom and has in earlier times served as an example of democratic government to the rest of the world.

Go see ‘Sicko’

We urge everyone to see “Sicko.” This movie should serve to initiate a huge national debate and dialog amongst us citizens and our legislators about our broken healthcare system. Yes, we have the most modern diagnostic machinery, innovative techniques and drugs in the world to cure and repair what ails us — IF you can afford it! This is wrong and shameful in the proclaimed greatest nation on earth!

There are some things in a society that are best done for-profit but healthcare is not one of them! See “Sicko” and join the debate.

Unsightly business

RV park on the Port? My opinion, if a casino is not a good enough looking structure to be on a port site in Hood River County, then why would an RV park be a good sightly business? We have a closed trailer park, on the west end of town behind the trees, where they wouldn’t be seen. Who owns that property? I would imagine it has all the hookups ready to go.

Easy on/off the freeway. What are you thinking? Just what I want to see as I look out over the beautiful Columbia River: another unsightly business.