The NC legislature is enabling ‘distrust’ of science in schools

Teach science

I’m troubled by J. Peder Zane’s dismissal of a recent League of Women Voters study in “For school choice, father and mother know best” (June 22). The unstated thread running through his argument is that actually, the N.C. legislature knows what is best for our children’s education.

Our tax dollars pay for student scholarships to private schools. This deeply offends me. Furthermore, according to this recent study, over 100 fundamentalist Christian private schools receive 77 percent of tax dollars appropriated to these private institutions.

Many of these schools use curriculum textbooks that teach the earth is but 6,000 years old, the Biblical creation story is literally true and the Grand Canyon was formed by the runoff from Noah’s flood.

That students of these schools might lead rewarding lives with scientifically erroneous knowledge is not doubted, but we, by our silent assent, are actually promulgating these same religious views while producing a generation of Americans who distrust science.

The N.C. legislature is cunningly hoping that we don’t realize this. So far, they seem to be right.

Homeless students

Regarding “Programs push viable paths to get university degrees” (June 24): In my role as a national advocate for families and youth experiencing homelessness, I have been involved with North Carolina State University’s efforts to better serve students who lack housing and adequate access to food.

The plans to expand enrollment to families with incomes less than $50,000 are encouraging but that’s not enough. Those students are likely to need support once they arrive at the university.

Recent surveys indicate that nearly 10 percent of NCSU students experience homelessness and 14 percent are food insecure. Certainly stronger efforts could be put in place.

When administrators of this land-grant university examine the logistical and financial barriers for students struggling with poverty and homelessness, they will discover areas that could be addressed to meet their basic needs to give the students a fair chance to succeed.

‘Problem’ judges?

Regarding “NC lawmakers push for prominent role in selecting judges who rule on their laws” (June 21): The N.C. Senate Judiciary Committee recently posted mug shots of justices I. Beverly Lake Jr., Sarah Parker, Robert N. Hunter Jr., G.K. Butterfield, Louis Meyer and other judges, labeling them as “problem” judges because they had been appointed to fill vacant judicial positions after having lost an earlier election.

This was done to justify their “Judicial Vacancy Sunshine Amendment,” their most recent attempt to grab unlimited power while they have a gerrymandered supermajority.

What the Republicans failed to add is that these judges went on to serve our state well with distinguished careers, and many won re-election.

This amendment would let the legislature select as few as two nominees to send to the governor to fill each judicial vacancy. The newly appointed judge would not have to run for election at the next scheduled election, thus leaving voters out for up to four years.

It is shameful to malign hardworking judges to justify a power grab, especially in such a haphazard, secretive way.

Our state Constitution is 150 years old this year. Let’s celebrate by rejecting these pitiful attempts to undermine the time-tested bedrock of our democracy.

‘Moral leadership’

Regarding “House vote failure dooms future Republican action on immigration” (June 27): Desperate people have sought refuge in the U.S. before. The U.S. could have saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis. They didn’t. They turned away a ship of 900 German Jews and later rejected a proposal to allow 20,000 Jewish children to come to the U.S. for safety.

After WWII the U.S. started believing it had a moral obligation to help people fleeing persecution. It became something for which Americans could be proud.

I feel an urgent need to Make America Great Again – by welcoming families fleeing persecution, by repairing the damage we have done to them and by refusing to deport desperate people to the horrors they fled.

We must restore our moral leadership and our sense of decency.

This story was originally published June 29, 2018 at 11:36 AM.