European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 12, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 12, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 11 Anfor tenders dear Ann Landers i have been planning to com Mit suicide for a Long time. Al though i Haven t yet actually at tempted to do it i have come close enough so that i no longer tear death. When the time comes i have every intention of doing it right. When 1 hear of someone who has taken his or her life i silently applaud the decision. When i hear of homeless peo ple living in boxes under Bridges people who arc trapped in a dysfunctional body and those who arc dying a slow death and arc wracked with pain i wonder Why they feel that life is so precious that they want to continue to live. You Tell people who Are harbouring suicidal thoughts to seek professional help but you never Tell them Why they should. When it comes right Down to it Ann no one is indispensable. We will All die eventually so if life is Lousy Why stick around i have found that life s trials and tribulations Are not temporary. When one agonizing situation ends a new one pops up to take its place. I no longer believe that god docs not give us More trouble than we can endure or a heavier Load than we can carry. Often people who arc crushed by life s cruel blows opt for sleeping pills a rope or a Bullet in the brain. I see nothing wrong with that. The Only reason 1 am still alive is because i am waiting for my elderly Mother to die. She is the Only person in my life i care enough about not to Hun. When she goes i go. If you have any answers Ann i d like to hear them. A Reader in Parma Ohio dear Parma i hive a sneaking suspicion hit your letter is a cry for help. I believe that you really want me to talk you out of killing yourself. The fact that people live in boxes under Bridges and suffer with terminal diseases is the Best evidence that even under the worst conditions life is precious. Otherwise Why would they want to go on even though life May be painful and depressing Hope Springs eternal that things will get better. I urge those who contemplate suicide to wait for the Cloud of depression to lift. I cannot Tell you How Many letters i have received from readers who were hellbent on killing themselves and changed their minds because of a letter in the column from a Reader who had travelled the same Road. They decided to give it one More to and were thank Ful that they did. Suicide is a permanent solution to what could be a temporary problem. Once you Cross that great abyss there is no coming Back. Even those who suffer from terrible illnesses such As cancer and aids Tell us they want to die with dignity. They want to thank family members and friends who stood by them and offered unconditional love and emotional support. How much More compassionate and Classy than blowing your brains out and leaving the carnage to be discovered by a spouse or a dear Friend. Please consider counselling. I believe that the majority of people who talk about suicide Are hoping that someone will talk them out of it. Like you. Write a year from now and Tell me How you Are doing los Angeles times syndicated columnist Landers welcomes your letters. You can write to her m Cere of the stars and suites. Apo 09211. . Forces Reader wants better discipline on buses i would like to know Why Dodds and transportation department officials cannot work together to solve disciplinary problems on the school buses. I feel it should not be the responsibility of the bus Drivers. They have enough to do by first getting our children to and from school safely. The schools have daily Contact with the students. The accepted Behaviours and discipline could be announced occasionally Over the school intercoms. Bus monitors Don t work unless they arc men who demand respect. Failure to comply with the rules should result not Only in suspension from the bus but also from school. Repeat offences should result in action being taken against the children s parents. Parents need to Start being parents again no one s child is an Angel if regulations keep Dodds officials and transportation officials from working together for the Good of All then those rugs need serious reconsideration. Name withheld Rhein Maln a West Germany editor s note we received two replies to this letter. The first is from . Blackstead director department of defense dependents schools Germany re Gion Dodds officials and transportation officials do work together to solve discipline problems. However a department of defense instruction mandates that installation and Community commanders Are responsible for developing and enforcing student behaviour standards for school buses. While safety is the major concern bus Drivers do become involved in discipline. Most children Are Well behaved and respond to the Driver s directions. Having the Driver discipline the children is a common practice Here in Germany As Well As in the United slates. It should not detract from the Driver s Overall awareness of traffic. If passenger Misbehaviour does get out of hand Drivers Are instructed to pull to the Side of the Road and not continue until the situation is Back to Normal. There arc several examples that indicate How school and transportation officials work together. In most locations the commander s bus behaviour and safety Stan Dards Are Given to the sponsors and the students As part of the school enrolment procedures. Safety procedures in everyday life Are also stressed As a part of the school curriculum. In a number of schools buses Are brought in Early on one or More afternoons at the beginning of school and teachers take their classes out to the bus and review proper and Safe behaviour especially about the danger spots around the bus. Some schools use materials from the National safety Council aaa and adar including films and videos in the Dodds Germany film Library to conduct bus and traffic safety programs. One Community has had a positive behaviour enforce ment program for school bus conduct for several years in which children on the Best behaved school bus route each month Are invited for a treat by the local fast food restaurant. I would strongly recommend that the writer Contact the local school advisory committee and work with the members to improve the bus conduct in that Community. The second reply is front Diane l. Cline. Dependent schools officer. 4 5lh combat support croup currently Dodds does not employ discipline Hus monitors. Discipline is a parental responsibility. On routes where discipline problems Are a common occur rence parents arc tasked to ride As discipline monitors fora week at a time. On All buses when a Rule is violated warning it tiers Are sent to the sponsor. Second offences result in a week of suspended bus transportation for the student followed by a More severe suspension with the jul incident. Recurring incidents can result in expulsion for the remainder of the year. Adults May use school buses for transportation Pur poses on a space available basis however they Are expected to act As a discipline Monitor when doing so. Why we have be kind to animals week May 5-12 was be kind to animals week and if you Are among those those who wonder Why there is a week like that consider this 20 million cats and dogs arc euthanized yearly in . Shelters alone. The surplus of animals is staggering yet Puppy Mills and private breeders arc merrily producing More and More animals. Millions of strays arc roaming Countryside and cities hungry sick and abused until they die never having known any kindness in their snort miserable lives. Millions of so called pets arc forgotten in some backyard others arc locked up in basements or Bath rooms most of their lives. Animals arc suffering in Roadside and petting zoo Sand cheap exhibitions where they frequently live in the pen pals i would like to correspond with people All Over the world i am 11 years old. I like listening to Rock and heavy Metal mus a. I enjoy writing. Nicaj Efutich co Unda Fulti Baum other shop Pette Apo n.y., . 09034 i d like Christian pen pals i m a Grade school Leacher and 22 years o 3 my hobbies Are cooking singing and Reading the Dible and other Christian books. Yolanda Agravante Gmo Polan. Valencia Bohol Philippines 6306 i d like to write to put Gofa Uel Wiuli 20 and k years of Zge i m 9 and Wail to promote International Friendship. My hobbies Are Reading cooking Garden ing end swimming. Bernadette Cajes Tomarong Celina Davao City Philippines please publish my name m your pen pal column. . Mahu Renbo 9985 Apo . . 09742 most squalid conditions and death comes As a Relief. Animals Are exploited in shows movies Arenas and racetracks All Over the world. Animals arc taken to Slaughter after horrendous trips in the Back of trucks often neither fed nor watered for Days. Some arc dead others arc dying on arrival at least sparing them the final horror. Old Macdonald s farm is gone and in its place is an animal factory where calves spend their Short lives in crates unable to even turn around and where chickens live in Liny cages the size of a piece of typing paper. Millions of animals Are tortured in laboratories so we can try a new Shade of lipstick or an improved oven cleaner or Swallow headache Pill Brand number 718. Animals arc dying painfully and slowly in traps and faster but with just As much pain on fur ranches just so you can wrap yourself in skins you do not need and Many Beautiful creatures lost their lives for. Land and seas Are polluted Rivers and forests arc dying and with them untold numbers of wild animals. When rain forests arc burned Down where do the Ani Mals go who lived there still wondering Why we need to dedicate a week to those who arc not Able to speak for themselves but arc fully capable of suffering Nina i. Bertz ludwigs Burg West Germany a letters to the editor must contain the full printed name and address of the writer and must be signed. Wedo not read unsigned letters but we will withhold your name on request and protect your privacy. All letters Are  to editing. European edition col Jeffrey m. Cook. Usa comr Vanoer editor in chief it col Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Moe Mott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of. Or endorsed by. The us government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this pub Catton including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of de sense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Everything and ionised in this publication Shah be made available Lor Purchase use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex National origin age marital status physical Handicap political Altilio Atin or any other non Merit Factor of the purchaser user or Patron. 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