The following organizations deserve either CHEERS or JEERS this
week:
The following organizations deserve either CHEERS or JEERS this week:
CHEERS: For 16-year-old Gilroy High School student Stephanie Smith who, with her mom’s help, has jump-started a local effort to bolster Operation Yellow Ribbon which relays donations from home to U.S. troops abroad. Sending care packages and letters of support for soldiers is a heartfelt good deed and Smith’s dedication to that goal has gone beyond words. Join her. Put a letter and a care package together this weekend. Take it to the two Gilroy churches actively participating in the effort – the First Baptist and South Valley Community Church. Make a statement. Those willing to die in battle for America deserve it.
CHEERS: For the Santa Clara County Sheriffs who voted to set aside contract negotiations and accept no pay increase in order to stave off officer layoffs. As many as 81 deputies were facing pink slips. Supervisor Don Gage called the association’s move “a first” and suggest that if other unions followed this unselfish example, many employees could be spared the hardship of losing their jobs. That’s a solid suggestions that all the supervisors should take the lead on with themselves and their staffs. The sheriffs have set a noble example, now let’s hope it catches fire. Keeping people employed in these tough times is worth sacrificing for.
JEERS: For the Gilroy High School baseball players who acted selfishly – hurting the school’s reputation and the team. Surreptitiously obtaining a key to the team’s storage area and having a marijuana “party” inside is just plain stupid. We also have to wonder about the Gilroy police officers who were aware of drug paraphernalia, but apparently didn’t press the issue about where the drugs were. Is that the right thing to do? As a society, we wonder why athletes in college and the pro ranks often act like spoiled brats. Well, this incident at GHS gives us a real look at that answer. It’s too bad the GHS administration didn’t let Coach Clint Wheeler’s decision to oust the players from the team stand. A 2-12 record obtained with character is better than whatever the alternative ends up being. And what about the parents? What message does letting your child continue to play baseball after such an incident send?
