Letters on school choice, worst governor, bad behavior, men who cook
Education needs freedom to choose
“We can’t continue to do the same thing year after year and expect different results. It’s just not working for us,” said Amanda Kingrey, principal at Gordon Parks Academy (April 2 Eagle).
The logic in these words is simple, the courage to voice them is uncommon, and the will to act on them is rare. But without freedom, the truth they reveal to us results in nothing more than heaping frustration upon failure until something (or someone) finally breaks under the mounting pressure.
And although these words apply in every area of our public and private lives, they are doubly true for American education – once because they accurately describe the dilemma of a public education system that systematically fails to produce an educated public, and twice because so many students fail to learn this simple life lesson and are doomed to frustration and futility when they encounter failure (and we all fail).
There is a public education establishment with deeply vested interests in preserving the status quo – hell-bent on denying parents and students freedom to choose the kind of education that works for them. And that is a sad truth indeed.
Why not free all parents and students to choose their schools? They have the logic, courage and will to do it. All they lack is the freedom to choose. Set them free.
Bob Love, Wichita
Worst governor
My wife and I have lived in Kansas for more than 40 years. Over those years, Kansas has had some good governors and some bad governors.
Sadly, Gov. Sam Brownback fits into the bad governor category. And over those 40 years, Brownback is by far the worst governor Kansas has ever had to endure. Nobody even comes close.
Brownback claims that he loves Kansas, but I am not convinced. How can Brownback – any political leader for that matter – love his state by running it into the ground.
John Stohler, Wichita
Dark horizons
Is it because I’ve grown older, or do you, too, feel shock and revulsion at public behavior? Change is inevitable, but the change in people’s attitudes and public conduct is alarming.
When I was a boy in the 1960s, if someone dressed or acted then as I see daily now, they would probably have been detained or arrested. And rightly so.
Here in the south end where I have lived for many years, rotten public behavior is particularly noticeable. I see it every single day, multiple times.
To mention a few things: filth pouring out of people’s mouths and their car windows; dressing in pajamas to shop; the smell of pot and other drugs lingering on them; rudeness too deplorable to describe.
Our future doesn’t look bright. Our course as a nation has less to do with who is elected as it has to do with the attitudes and values each of us possess. And values seem all but lost.
God help us – yes, God. We have moved far from the faith and devotion of our fathers and we are paying for it.
No, our future does not look bright.
Douglas Simpson, Wichita
Men who cook
As executive director of The Pando Initiative, I want to express my deep appreciation for the 100 men who purchased, prepared and served wonderful dishes to hundreds of people in support of our mission: to connect students to help them engage and thrive in education and their future (April 2 Arts & Culture).
Not only do men cook, but they do it very well. And they did it with a huge heart to help kids who struggle in school and in life.
We look forward to next year’s 100 Men Who Cook and hope even more people will become engaged in helping students thrive. Thank you to all who participated in this exciting new community event.
Nancy Hinten, Wichita
Rude at church
Church attendance in the United States is declining. Considering the casual rudeness that occurs on a weekly basis in places of worship, this should come as no surprise.
Slights are common, and clergymen who don’t want to risk offending financial contributors deal with the situation by telling the injured party to “forgive” and to “not take it personally.”
I’m not saying this is the only cause of the reduction of parishioners, but I bet it’s in the top two.
Troy Cox, Wichita
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This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 5:03 AM with the headline "Letters on school choice, worst governor, bad behavior, men who cook."