Component missing
Sarah Morris and Sarah McKenzie present a compelling argument for a Minimum Grade in their recent column. As a former public school teacher I notice a very important component of this discussion missing. Can anyone guess what it is?
How about parents doing their jobs and making sure their children do the assignments, keep up with the work, and do what is necessary to pass the course? Or are parents and students satisfied with a 50 instead of a 34? Hey, an F is an F. Certainly a bragging point when a parent can say, “Yeah, my kid flunked but he did have a 51 instead of a 37.” I see numerous editorials and guest columns in the Democrat-Gazette all claiming what should be done about education, and every one of them fails to mention parents. Amazing. Simply amazing. I don’t care what programs, policies, plans are put in place. If parents aren’t involved, then nothing is going to work. “Hey, my kid making a 50 is smarter than your kid making a 42.”
DAVID KELLEY
Louann
Complain to network
How did you like the three on-field announcers at the Nov. 19 Arkansas-Ole Miss football game? If you wish to file an effective complaint, call ESPN Customer Care at (888) 549-3776. I immediately got a live person.
ERWIN HOEFT
Hot Springs Village
Pray for Little Rock
I am hopeful that Mayor Frank Scott does not ruin the outgoing career of another fine chief of police and has learned what works best in subduing criminals. Regardless of whoever is selected as the future chief of police in Little Rock, I believe Mayor Scott has proven that he does not know how to successfully attack crime. And unless the mayor has learned by his past failures in subduing crime, regardless of who is chief of police, crime will grow like moss on a tree in a swamp. And that is a shame because innocent people will continue suffering and won’t know what it’s like to live in peace. People deserve peace.
Mayor Scott, get wisdom. Mayor Scott, can you learn? Yes, you can, but your record does not give us hope. I believe that Mayor Scott’s record in fighting crime has been very bad. I personally pray he does better in the coming year. We are praying for you. Meanwhile, good people, be very very alert at home and out and about in your beautiful city. Christmas is coming and criminals have it marked on their calendars to get some goodies too—albeit free. So be very alert.
I am praying for you, the criminals, and our police, too. I have not given up on Little Rock becoming a shining city on a hill.
JOHN J. EMMONS
Hot Springs Village
Seek a compromise
Conventional wisdom says that with Congress so evenly divided, nothing will get done for the next two years. Instead of paying for two years of nothing, I would like to see our legislators put the good of the country first and pound out a compromise on immigration. I know immigration is a complex/complicated issue and compromise seems like a forgotten skill of a long-ago past. However, solving problems is why we send people to Washington.
We are a nation of immigrants. Having fair and reasonable policies is not partisan. Ask your representatives to reach across the aisle and do the hard work of finding compromises.
We Americans are a generous people who believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I also think that we listen to our better angels when we honor the sentiments of Emma Lazarus’ poem on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
ROBERT BARNES
North Little Rock