Op-ed About Students Misses Real Issue
I agree with Samuel Abrams (“High School Should Be Upsetting,” March 3); students must be exposed to a variety of ideas to learn the critical thinking skills required of citizens in a democracy. But he fails to address the real problem, instead blaming “leftist orthodoxy.”
He’s bothered by students deplatforming racists, sexists and homophobes. But he ignores state legislatures and school boards engaged in banning books and in ordering teachers not to teach real history.
A school district in Texas recently told teachers they needed to teach “opposing perspectives” about the Holocaust. (Public outcry forced them to recant.) The Florida House passed a bill that severely limits the way sexuality and gender can be mentioned in schools. Florida already passed a law banning the teaching of anything that might make students feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress.”
Dozens of states have passed or are considering similar laws. (See tinyurl.com/27jwwmc7 for a list.) It’s only in states controlled by Republicans that such bills have passed or are likely to pass. Yet Abrams doesn’t mention this, and instead blames the left.
The real challenge to critical thinking is this large-scale censorship, not students rejecting bigots and abusers.
Tamar Granor | Elkins Park
What Were the Sale Details?
The sale of the Exponent makes good sense (”Jewish Exponent Sold to Mid-Atlantic Media,” March 3). As Andy Gotlieb pointed out in his article, aside from the financial benefits to Federation and thus to the Jewish community, it is wise to remove Federation from the divisive issues of political orientation and organizational coverage. Federation should not be judged on these issues.
However, Federation should be judged on its stewardship of money and assets entrusted to it. I found it surprising, therefore, that the terms of the transaction with Mid-Atlantic were “not disclosed.” They should be. If there are compelling reasons why they are not being disclosed, those reasons should be disclosed.
Steven Stone | Maple Glen
Endorsement Omitted Key Details
I am saddened to see that you chose to endorse the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace retiring Justice Breyer (“Ketanji Brown Jackson — A Republican Opportunity,” March 3).
This is a woman who has had an extraordinary number of her judicial opinions reversed by higher courts. This is a woman whose LSAT and law school class standings have been vigorously shielded from the public by her handlers (presumably — if she had placed high in her class or done very well on the LSATs — they would have rushed to publicize the fact).
Most egregiously, she was chosen strictly for her gender and race, so that Biden could pay a debt to his supporters. Is this really who we want on the court for the next 30 years? JE
David L. Levine | San Francisco
There is nothing wrong with picking someone because of race or sex as long as they are competent and within the mainstream, Mr. Haskelevich, do you really want someone who backs the racist CRT curriculum dividing us up into oppressed blacks and oppressor whites? Add on Jackson’s absurdly low sentencing of child pornographers and it looks like she’s on the extreme section of the leftist universe, This is a lifetime tenure on the highest court in the land. can’t we do better?