Letters on school performance funding, abortion

Many variables in an education

In a general sense, we all agree with Gov. Sam Brownback’s desire to have every student departing high school and moving on to college or the workforce (“Brownback: Link school funding to performance,” Jan. 31 Eagle). But, fortunately, students and teachers are much more than numbers.

An education is a collection of experiences that is not measured by one specific standard. It helps to consider teachers as being artists and students being their medium. Each student is unique and learns by different methods.

Keeping track of progress needs to be part of the program, but not solely based on performance. There are too many variables in an education. A specific performance for a specific amount of dollars would be nothing more than cloning the educational experience.

Though it is understandable that most people would want performance thrown into the mix, I do not think they want performance holding the ax that cuts off their school funding.

Trust women

Even columnist Cal Thomas stated that women should have the choice (“GOP abortion bill: right ends, wrong means,” Jan. 28 Opinion). Where he ran afoul of thought was the idea that forcing women to view sonograms will change their minds.

He also suggested that there is a genocide occurring among black women. He refused to see the real problem for black women: poverty and hopelessness. Bringing up the images of Selma and lunch counters has little to do with the choices women make. The lack of jobs, substantial birth-control options and the hope of a future where they can raise their children are real factors these women face.

The GOP and the religious right-wingers believe that empowering women means giving them more information – whether valid or not – so they are fully informed. That is a slap in the face to all women. Thomas seems to think that being black or female means that women are also stupid. These ladies are the ones who deal with the medical issues. Thomas believes women are uneducated and blind to their own bodies.

Women can be trusted to make the best choices for themselves.

Tragedy for fathers

I want to thank The Eagle for publishing Cal Thomas’ column on the GOP abortion bill (Jan. 28 Opinion). Empowering women with information is the best path. It is when women feel trapped because of lack of information, perceptions of lack of healthy options, and fear that they make lifelong, regrettable decisions.

I also want to highlight the tragedy that fathers endure. I recently stood outside South Wind Women’s Center in Wichita with a young father. He said that after a month of pleading with his girlfriend to choose life for their child, she chose death. Tears poured down this young man’s face, mourning for the life of his child.

He said that if his child were 2 years old and his girlfriend were trying to kill the child, he could snatch his baby and run to safety. But on that bleak January day, because his child was in the womb of the mother, no protection was offered. He wept about how he had given his girlfriend a thousand reasons for how they could make this work, but she said “no,” and there was nothing he could do.

Contact your legislators and ask them to support the Unborn Child Protection From Dismemberment Abortion Act.

This story was originally published February 2, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Letters on school performance funding, abortion."