Column writer once showed disregard for law On Jan. 31, the Independent ran a guest column written by Joseph Wedick ("Public urged to voice their opinions before Merla sentencing"), a former councilman from Keyport, urging residents to voice their opinions to the judge contemplating John Merla's upcoming sentencing. It is apparent that he wants the reader to call for a harsher sentence in the name of "justice" as defined by Wedick. This from a man who has admitted to partaking in activities at his child's school while in elected office, that violated not only state regulations but simple ethics. This statement is not conjecture but fact and is part of the public record. Ironically, when his apparent nemesis Merla brought this hypocrisy to Wedick's attention at a meeting Oct. 4, 2005, where he was quoted by the Independent as saying "Wedick violated state gaming laws by working bingo games for his church and then not declaring compensation for it on his tax forms," Wedick's response was, "This was a so-called violation, OK," clearly illustrating the low ethical standard he has set for himself. This from a guy who says that there should not be two sets of understandings of right and wrong in Keyport. In his column, he speaks of how disheartening it was to him to read the reactions to this news from individuals he refers to as maintaining high-level and influential positions within his community. How disheartening was it for the few parents who may have had ethical concerns about breaking the law at Holy Family School while individuals who maintained high-level and influential positions within the community - who clearly understand what was going on - failed to do anything about it? Even after the school was cited for violating the law and agreed to cease the practice, individuals like Wedick looked the other way as parents continued to participate in this activity, but now with one significant difference - they knew exactly what they were doing. We all know that this world is filled with hypocrites and vengeful people who find joy in others' misery. Unfortunately, Wedick's column is nothing but an attempt to bring out these sinful traits in all of us. William Hunt Hazlet