Speak Out ... On improving our schools
|
In talking with city and county leaders, I have learned that one use will be to allow a handful of students at each school to take Japanese instead of Spanish. I know our leaders are not going to limit their thinking only to offering one more foreign language, but we as a community must demand that they be creative in their course selection alternatives so that our students truly have the best opportunities of any school system in the state. A result of this could be that our children have access to courses that are offered only in a private school setting — one that would cost parents up to $57,000 over a four-year period. Wow! How does that make you feel about living in Calhoun County? Brandon White Kudos to Longleaf StyleI recently received a copy of Longleaf Style in the mail. Wow, what a beautiful tribute to our area! The articles, ads and photos are exquisite and compare with similar magazines that I’ve seen in much larger cities.If you haven’t seen Longleaf Style, I encourage you to go to its Web site (www.longleafstyle.com) and subscribe. You won’t be disappointed. Everyone associated with this publication should be applauded. Thank you for celebrating our community and all it has to offer! Leigh Twigg Steel industry’s follyIn the past few years, many steel plants have closed down, including one in Etowah County, putting many employees out of work.They import high-priced steel from Japan, China and other countries. But how stupid can we get? They take an aircraft carrier, with millions of tons of steel, into the Gulf of Mexico and sink it to make a playground for fish and bored vacationers. The Oriskiny should have been salvaged to supply steel to give its former sailors jobs. I was aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) when John McCain’s plane set it afire. I am glad it’s a museum now and not a fish hotel to rot at the bottom of the sea like the Bismarck. Bob Richards Bush’s policies un-ChristianI wonder if any American really agrees with President Bush’s policies of: 1.) pre-emptive war or 2.) his definition of torture, which basically means you are allowed to kill someone as long as that was not your intent.I see two possible arguments — secular or religious. Secular: The person with the most power can do as he wishes. This is a true statement, but is it American? All you have to do is look at who has used this reasoning in the past: Germany under Hitler’s rule, Japan when attacking Pearl Harbor and terrorists when they attacked the World Trade Center. As Americans, we have condemned these acts. Therefore, the secular arguments are not considered American. Religious: I don’t think any Christian or non-Christian would agree with a more powerful nation attacking us or treating our American captives in less than humane ways, which is why America came up with the Geneva Convention. So, these two policies are those of President Bush. We are supposed to be a Christian nation and a democracy. I suggest we act like one and let our leaders know how we feel. Don Landers Dubya’s hypocrisyAnother Memorial Day weekend has recently passed, and again I am filled with disgust at the hypocrisy of our so-called commander in chief.As a Vietnam veteran, I am appalled at Bush’s cowardly behavior during that conflict and his use of political connections to avoid combat. He even failed to fulfill his obligations to the Alabama National Guard. Yet he likes to swagger before captive military audiences to pretend he is macho. Addressing graduating cadets at West Point, he told them that they would soon be privileged enough to fight his illegal overseas wars so America would not have to fight them at home. At the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, he stated that “America has always gone to war reluctantly,” knowing full well he and his fellow neocons had dreamed of war with Iraq since the 1990s. As for Afghanistan, it is blowing up in our face. The one “just war” that the international community supported America on, and this incompetent abandoned it to attack Iraq. Now we have news that Marines in Haditha, Iraq, may be tried for murder. If this proves to be true, the only fair thing is to also charge George W. Bush, Richard B. Cheney, Donald H. Rumsfeld and Gens. Tommy Franks, Richard Myers and Peter Pace as the instigators of these murders. This November, the people of Alabama need to elect new representatives to the U.S. Senate and House. A defeat for Richard Shelby and Mike Rogers will remove two Bush toadies who have supported the president’s illegal war and unconstitutional assault on our democracy. William Henderson
You never miss a chance to blame conservatives, Christians and the president for any troubles or inconveniences you liberals encounter! The article by Dana L states that “as a rule, we use contraception” and “I worried because the odds of having a high-risk pregnancy or a baby born with serious health problems rise significantly after age 40.” Her doctor refused to prescribe Plan B. Shame on him for following his conscience or being concerned about the possibility of dangerous, proven side effects. Poor Dana L. had to go through nearly two days of inconvenience to get her abortion! However, she was certainly right. This was a very high-risk pregnancy — for the baby! Where do you come up with these stories? Don Hocott • • • The poignant and troublesome picture painted by Dana L.’s experience speaks to so many crucial issues facing women’s access to reproductive health services today: the unabashed war on contraception and the resulting rise in the number of unplanned pregnancies; the interference of politics in science, as evidenced by the FDA’s refusal to approve Plan B for over-the-counter status despite its expert advisory panels’ overwhelming recommendation; and the rise of refusal clauses (so-called “conscience clauses”) allowing pharmacists (or in this case receptionists and doctors!) to dispense their moral views in lieu of prescribed medication. For women who find themselves in Dana’s position, know that there is a Web site (www.Not-2-Late.com) and hotline (1-888-not-2-late) available to connect women immediately with health care providers and pharmacists who have identified themselves as willing and qualified to prescribe and/or dispense emergency contraception. Women deserve a second chance in preventing an unplanned pregnancy. Until Plan B is available over the counter, women of all ages can count on the committed health care providers available online through the Not-2-Late.com Web site and hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to step in where government fails. Beth Jordan, MD Beth Jordan is medical director for the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. |
|
|
