News - Editorial - Letters

Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

Oct. 24 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

America needs patriots, not politicians, in Congress

For years progressive Republican and Democrat politicians have worked to undermine the fundamental American ideals that made this country great. Obama’s a politician, his promise of transparency and change is more of the same. We are frustrated; no one in government listens, including Gene Taylor. The truth is he could make a difference, he doesn’t. His Congress meticulously works at taking away our God-given rights. We need to replace our politicians with patriots who actually love this country enough to have read and understand the true meaning and purpose of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. We need representatives who realize the power of America comes from the citizen, not the government or special interests.

Individual freedom is what our government protects. Our military fights to keep us free, defending our Constitution and our unshackled citizen rights. How can they succeed when the government wants to protect us from ourselves? Savior politicians need to be sent home. We are America, proud and free, deserving of respect and honor from our leaders. Our inalienable rights do not come from a political party.

In America, the government’s role is to protect, not enslave. We do not need a nanny state. Somehow the government has postured itself between us and everything! This has become a lucrative business, for them.

Recently I heard a speech enumerating the virtues and beauty of America and Americans. It brought a tear to my eye. I thought, finally, after nine months, a presidential speech. Unfortunately, it didn’t come from the president or Gene Taylor. It was by Sarah Palin. We need statesmen (or stateswomen) in Washington, not politicians. We need rule of law, not servitude by law.

MICHAEL SZKOLNIK

Long Beach

Colleges are doing a better job of assessing learning

In Walter Williams’ column published Oct. 16 in the Sun Herald, “It doesn’t take a genius to see that colleges are inflating grades,” he states, “The American Council on Education found that only 15 percent of universities require tests for general knowledge; only 17 percent for critical thinking; and only 19 percent for minimum competency.”

We have informed Dr. Williams that the data he references is from a 1986 ACE publication, Campus Trends, and is no longer accurate. In using old data, he misrepresents the work that colleges and universities have undertaken in assessing critical thinking, competency and general knowledge of students.