Letters: End the madness of war; People in our schools

End the madness of war

It is sad to watch our country stand by while thousands of innocent people are being killed again — as we did during WWII when the victims were Jews in Europe.

Unfortunately the United States has lost the moral high ground to ask for anyone not to kill civilians. During WWII we firebombed Dresden, Germany, a city of churches with no military installations, killing over 100,000 people. After we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing over 70,000 civilians, for no discernible reason, we dropped another on Nagasaki, a city whose population had largely embraced Christianity, killing over 60,000 more, mostly civilians. More recently, we took our ire out on the Iraqi people for the attack by Saudi Arabians (not Iraqis) on 9/11, killing over 7,200 Iraqi civilians before Bush declared the invasion a success. So it would seem hypocritical of us to ask any country not to do what we did.

But if our government speaks for the people, then we the people need to speak to our government representatives. We need to end this madness of war. We can demand cease fires.

You don’t end war by continuing to fight, you just set the stage for destruction, more pain, and more war. Our country is a part of providing the means to kill people and destroy things in Gaza, in Ukraine, in Yemen. It is time to stop.

People in our schools

Treat people as people. A simple principle, almost silly in its circularity. A trip to Gettysburg recently brought home to me the full force of that statement, though. I stood at the site of Lincoln’s Address following the end of the Civil War. The war was about whether America would always treat people as people, or treat some people as non-people, like livestock.

Sadly, some people in our nation would prefer to think of themselves as people but some others as something lower, as non-people. And it is especially concerning that the same people are actively undermining our American public education in equality for all. This happens by opposing DEBI initiatives, banning library materials, and shaping curriculums. Likewise, lobbying for charter schools, driven by the hidden motivation of shunning public education.

Why the shunning? It is as though for them the public schools are celebrating equality for all kids way too much. It is as though for them the civic enculturation of public education is, what, too freeing? Too American?

Lincoln implored us to celebrate this “new birth of freedom” for all. Our public schools from kindergarten (the kids garden) to high school are growing people who see other people as just people. Let’s celebrate equality, honesty and openness in our schools. Let’s honor the legacy of that terrible conflict.

No place for gambling at Penn State

Penn State is an institution of higher learning. There is no room for gambling of any nature in the university. A Lottery partnership renders the educational pursuit worthless. Penn State should discontinue this despicable partnership. It does the university no good, and it is awful for our students.

Please consider signing the petition opposing Penn State gambling involvement.