Letter to paper

I Emailed this letter to the editor today. We shall see is they print it. Comments anyone?

I continue to hear and read a great deal about the public library not living up to community standards. My question is what are they? No one has addressed this. WBCFSL say they have their own opinion of those community standards. West Bend Parents For Free Speech, also have their idea of community standards. Then there are those that fall somewhere in the middle. So my question is who is going to determine what those standards are that are to reflect the ideology of the ENTRE city? A Christian and an Atheist? A Heterosexual and a homosexual? The city council and the library board? The CCLU and the ACLU? Who? Who is going to fund the research? It really should be up to each individual household to decide what their standards are for their family. Not one group deciding for everyone.
I want to add one final thought. Mrs. Maziarka is not a resident of the city of West Bend. She lives in the township. So while our city tax dollars go to fund this fiasco and we have our pockets tapped, she will not have to pay a dime or shoulder any of the responsibility for it fiscally. When she focused on the harassment policy with the schools last year it was the district’s budget that got tapped because they had to hire an attorney to represent them. It’s our kids that have that much less in the budget for them. She has made comments on her blog the school district is next line for an assault on their libraries. Again it is the children that will pay. When do we all as CITY residents finally scream STOP?
Let me start. STOP!!
Kristina

Crying

I was originally going to post on some current rumblings in the community regarding the library and the basically confirmed statements made by WBCFSL that the public school libraries are next, I am not going to do that tonight.

I would like to address the Michael Jackson topic tonight. I grew up listening, dancing and enjoying his music. I got his Thriller album for my 13^th birthday from a friend. I practically wore it out. The video mesmerized me. Whether or not you liked or appreciated him or his personal life one cannot deny his musical and artistic genius. The boy was 10 and he could cover 3 full octaves with his voice. No other artist at that age could or can do it.

I watched all the coverage today. His memorial service at the Staples Center in LA. With 20,000 of his fans and all his huge family all in attendance it was reverential. After everyone was seated it was so quiet in there with all those people some commentators called it almost eerie. There was no shouting or commotion. Between some of the performers or speakers there were small breaks and only a few times did people shout out things like 'we love you Michael.' For the most part it was very quiet in there. There was of course applause after the performances but mostly lots of love and even more tears.

Now let me preface this by saying I am not a crier. Especially with things like this. Sure sometimes I get emotional about things if they are real deep inside me they end up coming out that way. However, those instances are few and far between, but when the service started and the gospel choir started singing and his brothers brought his casket out and the lyrics started with "soon and very soon we are going to see the King." The spotlight fell on the brothers and the casket. It was not a super bright glaring spotlight. It was soft and very appropriate for the occasion. Music "No more crying then we are going to see the King." Ok I will just say at that point what maybe a minute or 2 in I burst into tears. I was like that the rest of the afternoon and evening as I watched 20/20 and other shows like it all about MJ. The whole service was his music, tributes, celebrities singing his music, gospel music and more. His brother Jermaine sang MJ's favorite song 'Smile' through his tears and cracking voice. The loss was evident on his face. Towards the end I think it was Usher sang the song 'Gone To Soon' almost not being able to finish due to his own tears. The participating celebrities, MJ's brothers and sisters, his children and other relatives took the stage together and sang the hit song "We Are The World' after which his middle child and only daughter 11 year old Paris took to the microphone with MJ's siblings around her. She said "I just wanted to say that ever since I was born daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine and I really love him." She was crying while saying it and I don't think she did finish before she broke down sobbing and turned to Janice and hug her tight and continued crying. That spoke above all the controversy that surrounded his personal issues and allegations he faced.

We don't know if he did those things. We do know that the first family to allege it was proven to be trying to blackmail him and just get money. The second one who knows. We the public do not. We do know he was acquitted.

I did not personally know Michael Jackson. I just know I grew up listening to his music, ad his posters on my walls, and danced to the beat of his music. Maybe for those of my generation that did grow up listening to his music our whole lives it brings s sense of mortality to our own lives? I do not know but he had something the entire world wanted and enjoyed. The loss seems monumental. Watching all the different tributes from across the world today, Moscow to Australia, China to Alabama, and Hong Kong to New York, California to Munich he was loved.

Many tears were shed across the planet today for a man who lit up the world with his music. He earned it, and he deserved it. What a wonderful send off for the king of pop!