School safety in the pandemic: Letters to the editor, Aug. 9, 2020
School safety and threat of COVID-19
School authorities are holding meetings via Zoom out of a concern for their safety, and they are discussing when and how to open schools? Really? What is wrong with this picture?
The governor of Florida says if it is OK to go to Walmart and Home Depot, it should be ok to open our schools. Really? Who goes to Walmart and/or Home Depot five days a week for seven hours per day?
Do we have any adult leadership out there, any with an above room temperature IQ?
Larry Smith, Fresno
Keep children at home and safe
I thought my disgust for Trump could not go any lower until I saw him on television making threats if our schools did not open in the fall. He wants our kids back in school to free the parents to go back to work. He can then crow about the increased employment numbers during his re-election bid.
What will Trump say about the sick and dead children who contracted the virus in our crowded schools to increase his employment numbers? Don't let your child be Trump’s fodder. Keep your children at home until there is a vaccine to help keep them safe.
Oscar Williams, Fresno
Cutting Doctors Academy a mistake
The Selma school board recently decided to terminate its Doctors Academy program despite a recommendation from district administrators to keep it. Doctors Academy addressed the achievement gap that exists in rural communities by connecting its students to STEM and college preparatory resources. It offered students free tutoring, SAT prep, exposure to diverse medical and health fields, trips to college campuses, lessons on health disparities that exist in our community, internships, in-hospital shadowing opportunities, scholarships affiliated with UCSF graduate schools, etc. As a UCLA alumna, I acknowledge its role in my acceptance to UCLA.
Discontinuing this program was a disservice to our community. What some may see as a price tag on an optional program is actually a valuable investment in our students and community. Doctors Academy was an example of one program that focused on bringing sustainable mentorship to foster change.
In underprivileged areas such as Selma, academic support and career readiness programs should not be cut, especially when they prepare students to excel in college and return to their community to implement what they learned. We owe it to our students and community to speak up and voice these importances so that we ensure they are not forgotten.
Jaspreet Nagra, Selma
On good men, evil and the police
Edmund Burke (1729-97), an Irish statesman and political theorist, is famous for his statement, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” This statement has inspired many good men over the centuries to join the fight against tyranny and oppression. That is in fact our American heritage.
Burke’s adage may now, however, need to be revised. Not that his insight is untrue, but because there now appear to be mitigating factors to be considered.
Today’s version should read, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to be forced to do nothing.” Burke may have been unaware of the influence of corrupt mayors and governors over their peace officers, who are being forced to allow evil to reign in the streets. Or, perhaps Burke had already included them in the evil.
Rodney J. Nidever, Fresno
This story was originally published August 9, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "School safety in the pandemic: Letters to the editor, Aug. 9, 2020."