Anderson would like to see debate among candidates

Dear Editor,

I, Raymond Anderson, am expressing concern about elections all over the world. I think candidates running for public office should be obligated to have debates for upcoming elections to give the people a general idea of what each candidate’s platform would consist of. Also, information on how the candidates plan to approach the office they’re seeking should be given.

For instance, there are five candidates running for Evangeline Parish Police Juror District Eight seat. They are five talented, good men that are all my friends except one who is my third cousin. My cousin and I developed a relationship while preparing for his campaign, and he expressed great concern not only about District Eight but all of Evangeline Parish. I believe the four other candidates feel the same about the great need of the parish. That’s why I asked my cousin about challenging a public debate to let the people of the district get a general idea of what each candidate would be trying to implement or promote while in office to better our parish.

We the people of the parish need to realize these candidates have to start from zero and work their way up in politics, because none of them possess experience in the political arena. My cousin fully agreed to participate in a public debate; his response to me “Bring it on.”

Raymond Anderson

Ville Platte

Chapman writes ‘hypocrisy’ of Bertrand’s letter; behind Dupre

Dear Editor,

This past Sunday afternoon I came back from my annual opening weekend turkey hunt/camping trip and read James Bertrand’s letter about how his grandson was treated roughly by Detective Keith Dupre of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office, a pending criminal investigation. One of the reasons for my response herein is because I’ve known Keith Dupre since he was about 14 years old. I know he had a rough upbringing and it’s a credit to him that he’s done so well as a young adult.

I also know him on a professional level as I’m the district defender; indigent criminal defendants. In my experience with Keith Dupre involving numerous criminal investigations and even murder trials, he has been very honest, straightforward and professional. There’s a saying that, “you never really know a person until you’ve competed against him.” Well in my experiences of handling criminal cases when Keith was on the “other side,” I think he’s an okay guy, especially dealing with the ugly face of criminal justice with all the physically and mentally mangled victims, criminals and both of their families. Child abuse, wife-beating and killing and drug-driven burglaries are horrible for everyone involved. I don’t envy Keith or any other law enforcement person in what they face on a daily basis.

Now, I don’t know James Bertrand very well, but I do know he’s really heavy in the Republican Party, both locally and nationally. He even had his picture taken with former President George W. Bush. I understand that one of the main tenets of his party is personal responsibility with a black and white view and no gray, especially crime.

Reading Mr. Bertrand’s letter, I was struck by the scapegoating language usually attributed to squishy soft Democrats. He says his grandson is “not always a model citizen, not a hardened criminal, is easy going, has the intention to hurt no one, has the tendency to make bad decisions, his use of poor judgement and making a bad decision is getting grief over a misdemeanor charge.”

Now I wonder if Mr. Bertrand would have been as understanding if it had been a young black kid who had made the same “error in judgement” as his grandson? Or would he have screamed one of the Republican battle cries of “put ‘em in jail and throw away the key?”

Reading Mr. Bertrand’s letter also jogged my memory about another Letter to the Editor where he refused to accept the brave apology Renaldo Frank made when he used “poor judgement” in suggesting a potential boycott of area businesses of those who would not support a new tax to rebuild a crumbling and decrepit looking Ville Plate High School.

Back then, Mr. Bertrand’s letter reminded me of what Jesus said about forgiveness in The Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive trespasses against us.” Mt.6.12.

Reading the Four Gospels I’ve only found two instances where Jesus really got angry during his three-year mission on Earth. He flipped the tables of the money changers who had set up shop right next to the Temple in Jerusalem, Mt.11,15, and in Mt. 23,1-36, where he really unloaded on the hypocrisy of the Hebrew Scribes and Pharisees, the power brokers of his time. Any self-proclaimed Christian, a follower of the words and life Jesus led as one’s worship of the loving father, might want to reflect on whether we are judging another person with a clear vision or whether we are blinded by our own beam in our eye, Mt. 7,1.

Alex D. Chapman Jr.

Ville Platte

Guidry behind Dupre, encourages Bertrand to get help for his grandson

Dear Editor,

I read Mr. Bertrand’s letter with interest. I have had numerous dealings with Mr. Bertrand and most weren’t pleasant or a complete waste of my and other people’s time.

I know Detective Dupre and respect him and his judgment. He is a good investigator.

I was a deputy sheriff and an investigator for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office many years ago. I arrested several hundred people and not a one of them was guilty according to them. When you interrogated them they never told you the whole truth even though the evidence was solid against them.

In reading Bertrand’s letter, I came to several conclusions of what could have happened to his grandson’s car. First, he could have wrecked his car and ran off. Second, he could have loaned his car to a drug dealer in exchange for drugs. And lastly, he could have loaned his car to a friend who trashed it. In any case, the sheriff’s office smelled a rat and investigated. I don’t know what the investigation turned up, but I can speculate.

Instead of complaining about the police, Mr. Bertrand, why don’t you make him fess up and get him the help he needs. I went through some of the same problems with one of my own.

Bill Guidry

Ville Platte