Letters to the Editor 10-31-13

Trick-or-treating for UNICEF
Editor:   
This is a quick note to give the community a heads-up that both Interact and Key Club members from the high school will likely be coming to your door on Halloween night to “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.” Please give them a donation, if you can afford to do so. The money is being fundraised for a special project that buys tetanus shots to save the lives of newborn babies born under conditions that are unsanitary. A mere $1.80 will save the life of a child.
Sue Cummins, Key Club Advisor
Cloverdale High School
Justice or blame?
Editor:   
Is our penal code legal system more about Justice or ‘Paying a Debt to Society?’ The greatest advances are often based on a nice distinction. Is it true that Justice and Punishment are one and the same? Are they the same to us, perhaps in the depths of our sub-conscious minds?
In the case cited here, we are given that the victim was out walking with her boyfriend and  “when she stepped into the Cloverdale Boulevard crosswalk was struck by the vehicle.” Later in the article it is stated that the vehicle is moving at just 15 mph — Try to imagine how you could get struck on Cloverdale Boulevard, even at a crosswalk, while you are walking with your boyfriend (or whatever-friend) …  where is your attention?
By the way, notice the emotional response we have to the words victim and perpetrator. These words paint a picture of a driver who sees someone in front of her and hits her anyway.
Is each of us certain that we are inspired to seek justice for the defendant and for the family of the victim, OR is it a matter of Eye For An Eye, Tooth For A Tooth?
We think, “Well if someone died, then someone has to be blamed and must pay the price.”
Will someone please explain to me exactly what that means?
Was there a witness to whether the truck was almost at the crosswalk when the victim stepped into it? Some will say I am Blaming The Victim, so let me say here that it is not about Blaming anybody. An event occurred; a human being is dead.
Now we have to assign blame. Why? Why not just stay objective and focus on facts? If we could get away from this need to blame — and see that has nothing to do with justice.
The ‘perpetrator’ here will never be allowed to drive again; she has no record of violations, she did all she could at the scene to cooperate and answer questions without having a lawyer present.]
Please — practitioners of this penal system which is focused on punishment — look and see how you can resist the lust for vengeance that is out there.
Do we all agree that the best District Attorney is the one with the most convictions to her credit? Is that why we elected Jill Ravitch in the first place?
James Francis Holwell, Cloverdale
Giving back to CPAC
Editor:   
Dear friends and fans of Cloverdale Performing Art Center,
Here’s a win-win way to help support the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center — and shop locally.  
As part of its Community Rewards Program, Ray’s Food  Place will donate 1 percent of the money you spend on groceries to the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center.  
Just take your Ray’s Access card— ask for one, if you don’t have one— to the video department at Ray’s and sign up.  From then on, 1 percent of the money you’re already spending on groceries will automatically be donated to CPAC.  
When we all help a little, we can accomplish a lot.
With my thanks and best wishes,
CD Grant, Cloverdale
Sculpture trail spotlights
Editor:   
In this week’s Reveille, the Spotlight articles on the sculptors exhibiting in this year’s Cloverdale Sculpture Trail ends. This is a good time to again thank all the supporters who made it possible for the Cloverdale sculpture exhibit to continue, keeping public art alive. Thank you to donors and those who assisted with a variety of tasks necessary to mount the exhibit.
A number of people and businesses sponsored a sculpture with the monies going directly to the sculptors to help with transportation:
• Kenyon Lewis “90% Oscar” – Sponsor: Von Hoogenstyn & Associates
• Jeff Owen “Balance 1” – Sponsor: Cloverdale Computer
• Joe Bologna “All Stars” – Sponsor: Bob & Jeanne Cox
• Mark Stasz “Poised” – Sponsor: Main Street Vacation House
• Eileen Fitz-Faulkner Fruit of My Labor – Pear 2” – Sponsor: webmelt.com
• m.c. Carolyn “The Listener” – Sponsor: Mail Center, Etc.    
• Robert Michael Smith “Artemisa” – Sponsor: Cloverdale Reveille
• Michael Hayden & Kristina Lucas “Auger” – Sponsor: Erickson Fine Art Gallery
• Gerald Kirk Harris “Arch-i-texture” – Sponsor: Cloverdale Performing Arts Center
A complete list of donors can be found at www.cloveraleartsalliance.org .
A special thank you goes to the Cloverdale Reveille who provided great coverage of this project.
Joyce P. Mann Program Manager,
Cloverdale Sculpture Trail