Letters for March 3, 2022

A realistic parallel

I use the word “ironic” to describe my feelings when I see the stock market go up in the U.S. as Putin invades Ukraine because the word I want to use is not printable.

It almost reminds me of the money being made by the military-industrial-complex during the Vietnam War where I served in 1968 and 1969 after being drafted out of grad school. (I never was opposed to the protesters back in the States, even if they didn’t treat me well for my service to this nation.)

I am not a member of social clubs like Facebook, Twitter, etc. but I encourage people to follow my personal Norwegian Johnson Black Pen Movement. It is very simple: every time one sees a picture of Putin, one should draw a Hitler mustache on his upper lip. That is my message and belief.

James Richard Johnson

Clark Fork, Idaho

Putin’s agenda

Vladimir Putin,the former head of the Soviet KGB only has one agenda, (MRGA) Make Russia Great Again. He remembers the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Max Tuggle

Spokane

Grave issues plaguing our community and schools

At the Feb. 14 CVSD board meeting I acknowledged pressure to do what’s right for all is challenging when the principal belief in what’s “right” differs between individuals or groups of individuals. Even in the face of extreme adversity, board members consistently followed rules, mandates in particular. They may question, disagree with, even curse rules but members followed them.

Unfortunately, rather than support a simple effort to protect an entire community, some ask the board to abandon reason. Some want to make a choice for their bodies even when their choices affect a whole.

I challenge these agitators: If your doctrine is now “my body, my choice” and your employer adheres to rules you don’t, the employer should be relieved of the obligation to issue you a paycheck and relieved of your duties.

If your doctrine is now “my body, my choice,” students – male, female, trans or non-binary and especially since their identities don’t affect you and are none of your business – should be allowed to use whatever bathroom they want.

If your doctrine is now, “my body, my choice,” students we expect to think critically to take tests, apply to college or when behind the wheel of a car should be allowed to check out any book from any library.

I looked around a room where no one looked like me. I acknowledged the desire to circumvent parts of history. I asked the board not to allow it; not to isolate community members, not to stifle curiosity or identity.

Maria Garcia-Bachman

Liberty Lake

Students’ grades dropping during the pandemic

In reply to the articles about how students’ grades have dropped during the pandemic. I find these scores not at all surprising.

We, as students, have felt this. We all knew we weren’t learning, we understood teachers were trying but nothing was working. We still understand this, things are better now but we lost a whole year of learning because no one knew what to do. Skills we could’ve had aren’t there.

I’m sure we have all thought about the what-ifs, like, what if they figured this all out faster and we didn’t lose all that knowledge. Though there is no point in thinking about that because we can’t change the past, it shows exactly why our grades and test scores dropped. We didn’t get the materials we all needed to learn and now our test scores are paying the price. So, why are we surprised if we knew this?

I say it’s because no one but the students who had to deal with this understand. Teachers went through a lot, sure, but they weren’t the ones taking the tests that determined if they got into certain classes or not. No one was prepared for this pandemic but it shouldn’t be a surprise that our tests and grades dropped.

Kathryn Prior

Spokane