Bus Stop Needs Sign

Dear Editor,

I have requested a bus stop sign for bus route 8 to be placed in front of the North Battleground Goodwill Store. The city has turned a deaf ear to my request. It has been over a year since I made my request. Route 8 was rerouted about 18 months ago because of Old Battleground Road was closed at Cotswold Terrace. Why can’t the city erect a bus stop sign at the Goodwill Store on North Battleground.

I hope that you may be able to help the residents of the North Battleground and Old Battleground area out. Quite a few people use that bus stop. Maybe the city buses will have better ridership if they would mark their bus stops throughout the city’s entire bus routes.

Thank you,

Joseph Priestley

 

Skateboarding By

Dear Editor,

I couldn’t learn to skateboard.  I genetically lacked required balance.  As time passes individuals compensate for balance problems.  I would likely be more successful today.

Skate boarding is a behavior.  Individuals who skateboard are skateboarders.  They congregate sharing similar clothing, beliefs, and attitudes. Outsiders to the group have pre-formed conceptions of skateboarders.  Some are flattering while others are not.  Some are false.  Some are statistically true of most but not every group member. Some individuals do not like skateboarding or skateboarders.   An ordinance prohibiting skateboarding could be considered demeaning.  A person wearing the group’s cultural clothing to a conservative bank interview, will probably not be hired.  Being continually refused work for continually refusing to wear a suit could increase stress, depression, or worse.  Every individual would love to talk about their personal lives without being judged.  Nobody likes being passed up for promotion because the other guy volunteered at a soup kitchen instead of skating.  If parents stop negatively judging, the skater could have improved self-esteem. Several have avoided medical attention for sprains from accidents due to fear of provider stereotypes.  Some who take up the activity late in life have felt they missed out on happiness.  If society encourages more individuals to experiment with transportation, normalize experimentation, everyone will live fuller well-meaning lives.

Skateboarders are a minority.  We all must ambulate.  This is personal transportation.  Some people are genetically more likely to skateboard than others.  This is natural since YouTube videos feature skateboarding pets.

These are the arguments of a behavioral group granted special protections. Should we make skateboarders a protected minority group?  Should we use government mechanisms intended to encourage acceptance of race to force acceptance of behavioral groups?  Nobody likes being judged or disagreed with.  Should we use these laws to protect individuals from the emotional pain of disagreement?

No, they can skateboard on the weekend while wearing a suit on weekdays.  They don’t have to tell everybody every personal detail.  But, all behaviors groups can too.

Misappropriated civil rights legislation is being abused to sue Jack Phillips again.  Tax dollars are being used to punish disagreement and to promote a behavior that lost the vote.  This behavioral group conveniently forms the base of a political party.  These politicians have used taxes to settle cases out of court for claimed “ethical obligation.”  How many of these tax dollars are donated back to the politician?

Alan Burke

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