Advertisement

Letters: McConnell unpatriotic on voting rights. Don’t silence history on racism.

Senator ‘unpatriotic’

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell led the effort to kill the “For the People” voting rights act. He called it a “power grab” by the Democrats. The problem is that’s not true. In fact, it’s the opposite.

All across the country, Republicans are passing laws to make it harder to vote. They claim it is to prevent voter fraud. However, dozens of lawsuits claiming voter fraud have all been dismissed because there is no credible evidence that it happens.

And you’ll notice that Republicans, including McConnell, who claim there is voter fraud were elected in the same elections and consider their victories totally legitimate.

Republicans want to suppress votes because many of their policy positions, including those that allowed their donors to cash in on the Pandemic at the expense of taxpayers, are deeply unpopular.

It is hard to think of something more unpatriotic than keeping qualified voters from voting, but McConnell and his allies would rather throw democracy under the bus than support the will of the American people.

Sam Lapin, Burlington

Stoking fears

Kentucky legislative Bill Request 60 is titled “AN ACT relating to public education and declaring an emergency.” The emergency, apparently, is providing “any classroom instruction or discussion that incorporates designated concepts related to race, sex, and religion,” with educators being threatened with a daily $5,000 fine if such discussions occur. The impetus for this emergency? Critical race theory. Theories are explanations of experience. We all make, learn, and share theories and use them in daily life – the theory of gravity, for example. Critical race theory is one such explanation of lived experience that I have included in my teaching toolkit for over thirty years. Redlining — denying loans for housing in specific neighborhoods — is a verifiable historical fact, for example, to be understood in a broader context. Critical race theory is neither new nor an emergency. But it is being used as a lightning rod for a set of fears, much as the theory of evolution was used a century ago in similar proposed Kentucky legislation. That law, narrowly defeated, would have prohibited the teaching of evolution and taken a wide swath of books off library shelves. Theories are not the danger here; suppressing discussion is. That is unconstitutional.

Ann Kingsolver, Anthropology & Sociology Section Chair, Kentucky Academy of Sciences, Lexington

Silencing history

History is not a subject for the faint of heart. No responsible society can close their eyes to history and still hope to have a future. Yet that is precisely what Bill Request 60, prefiled for the 2022 legislative session, would do for the state of Kentucky.

The bill’s text makes this clear: “A local board of education, school council, or public charter school shall not include or promote ... or allow ... employee(s) of the school ... to use supplemental instructional materials that include or promote any of the following concepts: one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex… .”

Under this bill, it would be illegal to teach Kentucky students about World War II. Because the Nazis believed in the superiority of one race over another, and since any material on the subject would include (but not promote) that concept, those materials would be banned. The concept of racial superiority has been believed and practiced in the United States too. But forget about teaching the history of the Civil War, since a belief in racial superiority underpinned the institution of slavery.

When a law prohibits even mentioning racism, the objective isn’t to stop the promotion of racist beliefs, the goal is to stop a conversation.

Jason Belcher, Harold

Race theory imperative

Schools must teach critical race theory. Lawmakers’ concern is that young students will be encouraged to think that the United States of America is less of a country because of the history of racial hatred, demonization, and limitations placed by the white majority.

I’ll suggest that isn’t their real concern. And, to make my point, merely harken back to the 60’s and ’70’s and the misdirection offered us by the government for the support of the Vietnam War: “We’re making progress”, “Morale is high”, “We can win with 50,000 more troops.”

After the release of the Pentagon Papers, it became apparent to those of draft age and those parents of draft age children that this was not a just war nor a war worthy of lost sons’ and daughters’ lives. The exposure of the deceit did not lead to disillusionment but rather determination to change the status quo.

Studying critical race theory is a parallel situation. Our young people will not be discouraged but energized to repair and make good on the promises unkept to the people of minority status. Stand aside, the “times they are a-changin’”, again.

Lincoln Christensen, Richmond

Athletes’ pay

Somehow over the years, some athletes’ enrollment in an institution of higher learning has become simply a pro forma step to “the big bucks.” Yet it is a fact that more than 98% of student athletes depend on academics to prepare them for life after college. The fewer than 2% who go on to become professional athletes derive enhanced benefits as not only will they be well paid in the sport of their choice, but also will have obtained the education that is the foundation of their future post-sports. To claim that they are not being compensated is to denigrate the value of education and the very institution to which they have turned for support. Perhaps a better approach to this issue would be for institutes of higher learning to provide all athletes with full scholarships — tuition, books, housing, technology, and academic support.

Carole Boyd, Lexington

Church needs change

The Roman Catholic patriarchy voted in favor of developing a teaching document to rebuke Catholic politicians, including President Joe Biden, for receiving communion despite their support for safe abortion access. The Roman Catholic patriarchy needs to either expand its view of “pro-life” or accept the fact that they are not pro-life, they’re pro-birth.

In 2020, this same church awarded then Attorney General Bill Barr the Christifideles Laici Award, basically an award for demonstrating “Christ-like” behavior. The award was bestowed after Barr directed the Bureau of Prisons to resume executions of federal prisoners. Barr received his Christlike behavior award at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast last September, in the midst of an execution spree that ran from July 2020 until former President Donald Trump left office in January 2021, ending 13 lives.

If a church were minimally decent, they’d seek to enlighten congregants who remain complicit and faithful to ideologies with a demonstrable legacy of cruelty, dehumanization, and greed. It’s no wonder that people continue to leave the church. When faced with incessant duplicity, thoughtful people will walk away for sanity’s sake and either reject religion entirely or seek one that focuses on compassion, decency, and genuineness.

Jan Scherrer, Versailles

Tourney too pricey

I went to the state high school baseball tournament recently.

They charged me $27.20 (two tickets) to get into the game and then made us leave and pay another $27.20 to see the second game. To see two high school baseball games, I had to pay $54.40. Two years ago, I paid $10 to get into the games and didn’t have to leave in between games and pay again. Kentucky High School Athletic Association .... this is high school baseball!

I am not watching professionals’ play, I am watching high school baseball. Just plain greed! Shame on KHSAA. I don’t have a player on any team. I just wanted to go out and watch some high school baseball. What KHSAA is doing is robbing people of the few joys we have left at the high school level. Again, KHSAA needs to look at itself and ask what is the purpose for charging these ridiculous prices. And, then, charging them again. This is just wrong. Furthermore, one of the sinks was not working and the dryer was not working in the men’s bathroom. There was also no soap in the women’s bathroom.

Philip Maciag, Frankfort

Who teaches?

Suppose a friend’s dining choices are based on who owns the restaurant; no concern for the nature and quality of the food. Think that’s wacky? How about endless opinion pieces about schools but hardly a word about what’s being taught? There are really only three issues: who should run our schools, what should schools be teaching, and what can charter schools do that public schools, if properly supported and funded, cannot do.

I wonder if we want corporate interests running everything, whatever their agenda. Already they control most everything except schools and churches; perhaps someday teaching the Gospel according to Google. As to content; should schools prepare youth for thoughtful and concerned citizenship with firm foundations for meaningful living, or should schools be centers for training compliant workers?

Does the public care? It’s not reassuring that student athletes hold press conferences while others producing art or breakthrough science or essays go unnoticed. And about that agenda: Already we see the omens, teachers wearing body cams so they won’t stray from authoritarian doctrine. Don’t be fooled; when they come after your neighbor or doctor or pastor or guys who write letters, you just might be next.

Ernest Henninger, Harrodsburg

Stop believing lies

As far back as 2016, economists determined that there was going to be a decrease in profits from mining coal. A company cannot stay in business if it cannot make a profit. Yet to get people to vote for them, politicians lied and claimed they could increase jobs in our coal industry. These jobs are now at an all time low.

Politicians lied by claiming that the Affordable Care Act for healthcare was bad and had to be eliminated. The act was designed for the working poor who barely make enough money to meet expenses, much less buy health insurance. If a significant health problem arises, they are often destroyed financially. Yet, politicians are willing to throw them under the bus by eliminating their healthcare.

Politicians lied by claiming that we didn’t need to follow the Centers for Disease Control recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19. According to a study, of the over 600,000 people who have died from COVID, over 200,000 would not have died if they had followed these recommendations.

The list of lies goes on and on.There is only one word that describes those who time after time not only continue to believe lies but spread them and that is “sucker.”

James C. Leadingham, Richmond

Point proven

Congratulations to Kentucky voters of the 4th Congressional District. Their illustrious Republican Rep. Thomas Massie was one of only 14 Republican representatives out of 435 total members in the U.S. House of Representatives who voted “no” on making Juneteenth a national holiday, thus reinforcing the perception that Kentucky is a backward, uneducated, racist state. What better proof than Massie on that point.

Bob A. Sutton, Springfield