Greetings, one and all, and welcome! Submitted comments (in one form or another) continue to roll in. Let’s check the mailbag because it’s time to hear from The Roiling Hundreds!

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n Coming from a 30-year-old who likes everything from jazz to alternative rock, The Why Store really is a great band. I saw them in concert in Muncie and Louisville several years back and they sounded great. Seeing them here locally would be a good way to spend an evening and I plan on doing just that. (It’s no secret I’m a big fan. Have seen TWS live many times and own all their CDs, including all of lead singer Chris Shaffer’s solo and Shaffer Street stuff. Both TWS and The Bootie Coons are electrified rock-and-roll, probably a little too much so for older folks, but this should be a great show for the under 50 set. kg)

n "But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite you to sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there without a book, magazine, newspaper, profit and-loss sheet or rating book to distract you — and keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that you will observe a VAST wasteland." — Newton Minnow in the Chicago Tribune on April 24, 2001.

n It was brought to my attention by my child that the harassment at the park has spread to My Space. One of his friends received a threatening message from the instigator at the park. It named names of the boys who were going to beat the heck out of him in middle school. It went so far as to name all of the boys that would be there to beat him up. I don't think that all of the boys mentioned are trying to start trouble, but their name being mentioned in a threat online is not a good thing. If you have 6th, 7th or 8th graders, this would be a good time to talk to them. This has to be stopped. Someone's child is going to seriously get hurt or killed. I am sure if this continues it will be investigated by the police and those students will be questioned. Please talk to your children. This is very serious. Even if your child is not involved, please talk to them. You could be saving your child's life or some other child. (I’d suggest you report any threat to Tom, the guy who started myspace and who is everyone’s first “friend.” He’ll boot the offenders off. Likewise, any threat being made should be reported to the police so they can follow up on it. You are correct; this is very serious and should not be taken lightly. kg)

n I think that much of the criticism about what’s going on at the RPD is unwarranted. It’s my understanding that one officer resigned some time back to take a better paying job with the Indiana Gaming Commission. Another apparently didn’t want to work nights or weekends. Two others have been the subject of a lot of public scrutiny and talk and probably decided to get out while the getting was good. A recent resignation by a reserve officer was almost certainly politically motivated. If not, as a public official he should speak out about his concerns rather than just quitting. Turnover at the RPD is nothing new. Several officers/dispatchers were hired during the previous eight years. I appreciate the guys who are doing a good job and think things are headed in the right direction.

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Don’t forget to remember to write down your rants, raves, and/or random thoughts and to send them to me. You can do so via the U.S. Postal Service (Rushville Republican, Rants and Raves, P.O. Box 189, Rushville, IN 46173), fax (765-932-4358), e-mail (kevin.green@indianamediagroup.com), through our Web site (www.rushvillerepublican.com – just “add a comment” to any posted story and it’s fair game), or just drop your legibly written comments off here at the office (306 N. Main Street, Rushville).

Until the next time, I’ll leave you with this:

“When opinions are free, either in matters of government or religion, truth will finally and powerfully prevail.” — Thomas Paine, 1796.

Be good. kg

Kevin L. Green is the managing editor of the Rushville Republican. Look for “Rants, Raves and Random Thoughts” on Mondays and Thursdays. Add a comment at www.rushvillerepublican.com.