Wal-mart death highlighted a contradiction
To The Editor:
I don’t know about you, but when I heard that a Wal-mart employee was trampled to death by a mob of Christmas shoppers on Black Friday morning, it was hard to see it as just a freak accident. It seemed more like a grotesque drama capturing a basic contradiction at the heart of American life.
Here we are, eagerly rushing to buy costly Christmas gifts for those we love, and we roughshod over someone else’s loved one! Does this theme sound familiar? Perhaps this is what’s really going on -- writ large -- in our current fiscal crisis, in foreign affairs, and in our spiritual lives? In the name of kindness, generosity, and love we are trampling underfoot whatever and whoever gets in the way.
So instead of rushing out to buy more stuff that no one needs, Christmas may be the time to ponder why we seem so prone to express our most generous motives in materialistic ways, ways which are often destructive of human life and values.
David Duncombe
White Salmon
Help end meth use through community involvement
The Goldendale Meth Action Team (GMAT) has been working in the Goldendale area for over two years. It began as a subdivision of the Klickitat County Meth Action Team (KCMAT) which was started to address the methamphetamine problems in our county and individual communities.
GMAT has put on several events including the now annual Meth Walk/Run event, Family Night Out at the pool and last year’s social, which included speakers from the medical and dental profession, law enforcement, treatment, and individuals from the recovering community.
We have attempted to bring awareness of the problems of methamphetamine manufacturing, use, and community impact through literature, speakers, and promotional events.
We have been to several events this year throughout the county hoping to develop interest in other communities.
We are planning a social event in the White Salmon area for later this year in th hope of getting a meth team started on that end of the county. At times we have partnered up with other local agencies which see the effects of methamphetamine use in the community.
The Klickitat County Meth Action Team has dissolved and we’ve been asked to continue the work for the county so we are now calling ourselves the KCMAT.
With the grant funding we recently received, we would like to help support other MAT meetings in our county and are willing to help develop and promote those meetings.
If you are interested in what we do, please come to our meetings. If you want to start a meeting in your community, please contact us.
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