Spoiling the fun for all

It is ironic that the business of locking up public school tennis courts would show up in the news ("Locked tennis courts need review," editorial, June 24) the same week I made the decision to lock the Southeast courts for the first time in my 18 years as head coach.

When our courts were first resurfaced, I was given the option to lock them up. Because I am always looking to encourage participation in our sport, I didn't like the idea of locking out anyone who wanted to play.

Over the years, I have dealt with stolen center straps, broken glass, garbage and maddening black marks from bicycles and skateboards (in spite of the posted sign forbidding their use), but these things were never a big enough nuisance to warrant locks. However, the final straw came this week when I showed up to the courts to run our summer clinic and found a large bag of dog poop by the gate, and several places over the three courts where the feces had been scattered around, and actually ground in, judging from the shoe prints.

The question of what goes through a person's mind that does such a thing is another matter, but what we have is a very bad apple spoiling everybody else's fun.

Tim Tidball, teacher/tennis coach, Lincoln Southeast High School

Change is needed

In response to Bill White's letter "Give us details" of June 20: It's good that White is happy with his current health insurance coverage, but unfortunately there are millions who are not as lucky.

Currently, there are two groups of Americans who have good affordable health insurance programs and good health care. These two groups are those who are fortunate enough to work for employers that offer affordable group health insurance coverage and those who qualify for Medicaid.

The millions of others, if they can afford it, must purchase expensive health care coverage on an individual basis. This group includes farmers, ranchers, small-business owners and those who work for businesses that do not offer group health insurance coverage.

Within these groups are those who have past or current health problems for which the current health insurance industry refuses to offer them coverage. Their only option for coverage, if they can afford the extremely high premiums, is the state health insurance risk pool, which in Nebraska is the CHIP program.

To say we should disregard the current health care problems and not make changes is not a solution. We need to offer all our hard-working individuals the ability to share in the good affordable health care the majority of Americans have. Currently, the best solution to these problems is to enact a public health coverage option while maintaining private sector coverage.

Whatever is done, significant change must be made or our problems will only get worse.

Dick Oxley, Lincoln

A dark cloud hovers

A hideous cloud hovers over Nebraska that will not go away. Blackened by injustices, fears and deeply rooted prejudice, it blocks the rays of the sun from bringing enlightenment to the minds of good men.

This cloud may affect more than our institutions of justice, but also, insidiously, schools, churches and our neighborhoods. Decades from now, voices in the cloud may still whisper the names of Edward Poindexter and David Rice ("Poindexter claims denied," June 20).

Nebraskans must blow away this cloud if we are to be whole.

Don Tilley, Lincoln