Views from readers: no child left behind + wearing your masks

At this time in our country’s history, we should reflect on the words of Nelson Mandela, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate. They can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart that its opposite.”

Let us put away hate of others, racism, disunity and replace with love of others, acceptance of all people, service to country and unity as a country.

We need to do this to secure our country and our way of life now, for our children and our grandchildren. We should never allow one man or person to divide us. We are strong together but weak divided.

Charles Spradling

Gulfport

Wear your mask

On the Sun Herald website on Dec 9 is a graphic showing current MS COVID-19 cases (126,689) and deaths (3,443).

Next comes an image from the art festival in Ocean Springs this month where only three people in the crowd can be seen correctly wearing a mask. Three people. In a closely packed crowd. In the middle of a pandemic with cases rising across the country. Three people, because what we really need right now is to act in a way that will most likely cause even more cases, and the need for greater government-imposed restrictions like store/restaurant closures, severely limiting crowd sizes, curtailing public events, and shutting down the country just in time for Christmas.

Because people at events like Ocean Springs’ art festival won’t, on their own initiative, use a simple but effective tool to reduce coronavirus transmission: a properly worn mask. And Happy Holidays to all of you, too.

Katherine Tucker

Biloxi

Helping the children

Every child deserves a fair chance at life no matter where they are born. Children are a blessing from God, and it is our responsibility to take care of all of them. Nothing brings joy like knowing you are expecting a “bundle of joy” soon.

Unfortunately, the story looks a different when you are living in poverty and you’re up against not having clean water to drink or bathe to combat infection and disease. The story may look more like a nightmare.

Even if the child survives being born, survival is still questionable.

But what if they make it past the first year, how will they continue to develop and grow?

In 2001, President George W. Bush, felt that the situation surrounding our children was critical enough that the “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) Act was implemented to help disadvantaged children have a fair shot of completing grades K-12 and hopefully pursue college, technical school or join the armed forces.

You see, Congress realized that by helping to develop children who were getting the best education possible, the whole nation wins. It always for a better pool of diverse individuals to catapult this nation forward with advancements in technology, medicine, and the arts. By not allowing an “even playing field,” you stunt the economic growth of a country.

Therefore, I am in full support of the “Global Child Thrive” Act. We should be concerned with the sustainability of other countries.

Aleshia Jones

Gulfport