Letters to the Editor (Oct. 19)

School policy wrong on protests

The decision of the Wichita Public Schools to allow students not to participate or stand for the Pledge of Allegiance or national anthem, without punishment, is an insult to our country and flag.

Our school district leaders must be afraid of the Politically Correct Police. Our schools must teach patriotism. There was a great tradition of learning the whys and hows of supporting our country. This was taught when I grew up in our public schools here in Wichita.

District leaders should replace the guidelines for students who protest. Students should respect our national anthem and flag, period. Some of our schools have flag ceremonies at pep assemblies. Will the students protest our flag at those? Or will this policy cause administrators to cancel the flag ceremony completely? Or will they avoid the issue because they are too cowardly to discipline the disrespectful students?

My next votes for school board members will be for those who would want to abolish the current policy.

Hedrick for school board District 2

I am writing to endorse Julie Hedrick for Wichita Board of Education. I have known Julie since we attended Hadley Junior High School.

Julie is a hard-working community member who has a lifetime commitment to Wichita Public Schools. Julie understands that a child’s teacher is the single-most important person at school for the success of the child. Julie is willing to listen to teachers and take seriously their concerns and ideas. Julie’s greatest concern for the district is the retention and addition of excellent teachers. She believes morale must be increased and believes in raises for teachers and support staff.

Julie will ask the tough questions, listen, and make sound decisions for the greater good of all in the district. She sees the big picture, is dedicated to the district, and wants to give back by serving on the board. She has no personal agenda; for Julie it’s about service. I trust her to make decisions that will impact my granddaughter’s education. There could be as many as five new board members of seven; Julie is best for District 2.

Keep Iran deal

I disagree that the Iran-United States agreement on limiting nuclear weapons should be decertified or abrogated. Rather, improved communication between the two sides should be strengthened.

In an atmosphere of respect, the United States needs to reach out in working toward peaceful relations. Nothing of poignancy need be compromised, but the focus is on better relations among nations. This attempt is much better than the possibilities of having major casualties such as body bags coming back from foreign wars, containing the bodies of beloved soldiers.

The enduring results would be quite damaging to parents, relatives, and friends.

Consequences of ending Iran deal

An obvious result of withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Iran is loss of trust of other nations in America. Leaders of other countries may not say it openly, but will consider any agreement to hold only during the current term of the American president. They will be reluctant to go into long-term agreements with America.

Whether sanctions help is debatable. Most nuclear nations were subject to sanctions in the beginning but survived. A nation considers sanctions to be a challenge to face. To stop the spread of nuclear weapons in the world, negotiations with face-saving for both parties should be preferred over threats.

Weinstein start of epidemic

Producer Harvey Weinstein has finally been outed by journalists. At least 29 actresses have come forward in support, indicating unwanted physical contact, most times occurring at a “business meeting” related to a project or role.

Some have reported career failures and others are accusing him of rape. Clearly, Hollywood has protected Weinstein, because he has been a powerful man in the entertainment industry. Numerous male celebrities are apologizing for their behaviors before someone writes their career-ending story.

It is interesting that Emmys were given to Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” and HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” which tell of women’s subjugation or physical abuse by men. Hollywood has now “fired” Weinstein, but they must do more to demonstrate a commitment to change with respect to women.

Carol Hanisch’s essay described that the personal is indeed political; Weinstein’s power was such that women felt they had no way of fighting back. We have a long way yet to go.

Weinstein’s many mistakes

Many years ago when I went into business for myself, a wise old businessman told me to always remember the first commandment of business: “Thou Shalt Not Seduce the Help.” Harvey Weinstein should have hung this commandment on the wall of his office and read it daily.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 5:25 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor (Oct. 19)."