We Shouldn't Keep Quiet About Liberals Undermining Religious Belief 
Documents And Memos Continue To Trickle Out Of The White House And Clearly 
Show First Lady Hillary Clinton To Be A Liar.

Aid Cuts Near, But Schools Refuse To Panic 
Districts Rely On Title I 
Funds To Help Low-income 
Students Improve Math And 
Reading Skills

Sunday, February 04, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





`Through our trial, we might help someone' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In 12 months, I've gotten to know Judy Kester better than my own motherHer
favorite color was yellow. Her two teenage "crushes" were both on preachers'
sons. Her cat's name was Palaver, the African term for "trouble maker." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Seldom is a woman like Judy -- a "non-newsmaker" and a suicide victim --
put under such scrutiny by The Times Leader. This newspaper, like others
nationwide, has a policy that protects the privacy of most suicide victims and
families. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If averages hold steady, about 38 people in Luzerne County will kill
themselves before this year ends. You won't read about one of them, unless the
suicide is done publicly or the victim is well known. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So why tell Judy's story? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It was a question raised -- and legitimately so -- by her co-workers and
casual friends. Why are you doing this? Hasn't the family suffered enough?
She's gone. How would this help? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 My answer is written in the letter addressed to Judy's parents on Feb. 10,
1995. "With a straightforward discussion about Judith's death," it reads,
"perhaps we can use the painful experience for a greater good." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It would have been much easier for me to avoid Judy's memorial service,
arriving as I did without prior notice and awkwardly introducing myself to her
father, the Rev. Floyd Kester. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It would have been easier for Rev. Kester to politely, or impolitely, tell
me to leave. Judy's brothers and sisters could easily have slammed the phone,
declining all interviews. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Instead, each took the hard, uncomfortable path. "It's our prayer that
through our trial and testing," Judy's mother says, "we might help someone
else." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This story could not have been written without the Kester family's
cooperation. By getting to know Judy, one woman, it's harder for us to ignore
an issue that is often discussed only by the numbers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 About 32,400 people in America killed themselves during 1994, according to
the National Center for Health Statistics. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 True, that's only a small percentage of the total U.S. population of more
than 248 million. Yet for every completed suicide, how many people attempt it?
How many depressed people, regardless of whether they're suicidal, get
treatment? Do they know they are not alone . . . that medicines and therapies
can help . . . that they can regain a zest for life? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It's time we talk about it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And finally, Judy, I have a confession. During my career, I never want to
get to know someone under the same circumstances that I've gotten to know you. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But I'm glad we met. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 -- Mark E. Jones &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

`through Our Trial, We Might Help Someone' In 12 Months, I've Gotten To Know Judy Kester Better Than My Own Mother.