Re “Protesting Youngkin’s new transgender policies, Hampton Roads students join statewide walkout” (Sept. 27): First, how is asking someone to use a different pronoun constitute going “against their ideological beliefs”? Second, at the beginning of each school year teachers usually ask for students’ preferred names or nicknames. Creating a rule that it must be something regularly associated with the name on the school record is absurd. In addition, teachers shouldn’t have to police which nicknames are allowed.
Third, referring to anti-transgender faculty and students as having their “constitutionally protected rights” infringed on is an interesting argument. What about transgender students’ constitutional rights?
Being a child or adult who is transgendered is not fun; it’s not a joke; it’s not to sneak into bathrooms. It’s a hard, often painful path, and codifying rules like these is the most unreligious and cruel thing I’ve seen in education since segregation. The Youngkin administration is causing a culture war over a fractional part of the student population instead of elevating Virginia’s education system. Public schools don’t have a chance. The added burden on teachers and administrators will result in less of them. Shame on Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the people who crafted the Virginia Department of Education 2022 Model Policies.
Amy Birdsong, Suffolk
Re “Rising crime becomes flash point of Norfolk’s Ward 5 City Council race” (Sept. 19): An old friend reminds me occasionally that money talks, baloney walks. I find it interesting that crime has become a focus of Norfolk City Council races. I guess better late than never, although the proposals fall short in really addressing the root causes of crime.
One of the biggest problems is the lack of police presence due to the extreme shortage of personnel. The starting salary for police officers in Norfolk is around $52,000 a year. Although in line with surrounding cities, we are asking the police to put their lives on the line for little remuneration. Some must seek second jobs to support their families.
If we really want to “take a bite out of crime,” the city needs to “show them the money.” To obtain competent police officers, we must raise their salaries to at least the national median $61,100 or more. Closing down clubs, bars and restaurants is not the answer. If you’re looking to restrict alcohol sales, let’s start with our ABC stores. Besides, alcohol is not the only contributing factor to crime. The city needs to set its priorities and take action rather than just talking about it. A council member recently stated our recreation centers, a good alternative to crime, are not staffed or operational. The money is in the budget. Move it. Look for other budget line items that could be diverted. I would also suggest you have a full complement of police before the casino opens with its propensity for corruption and vice, prostitution, drugs and crime.
Tazewell Hubard, Norfolk
Re “You take from the poor and give to the rich” (Sept. 25): How outraged I was to read about Mississippi and the mismanagement of welfare funds. Where were the religious voters in Mississippi when the Department of Human Services was staffed? How blind can well-off leaders be to the needy in their midst? The excuse given in the article was “‘They probably thought that it was funny to be using money that was supposed to go — in their minds — to people who didn’t deserve it,’” said Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald, director of the Southern Regional Office of the Children’s Defense Fund. The article lists many leading citizens of Mississippi who were allegedly involved in this selfish and unkind manipulation. Shame on Mississippi for being “47th among U.S. states in the amount of money it spends” on basic assistance.
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I ask then, what about us here in Virginia? Are we taking care of our neighbors? Are our religious affiliates encouraging our efforts to correct systematic injustice or are we blinded by self-interest like some people and turning a blind eye to our area’s health, education and housing needs? Let us be mindful of this scandal when we choose who to vote for this November.
Maureen Marroni, Norfolk
Individuals who will be receiving up to $20,000 free from their student loans thanks to the Democrats and President Joe Biden are now whining and suing because some states will tax the money as income.
They’re getting $10,000 to $20,000 in free money they don’t deserve and complaining about paying taxes on it? If they had won the lottery, which they kind of did, they’d have to pay taxes on that. There is an easy fix. If they don’t want to pay the taxes, then don’t take the handout. It seems they, like many Americans, don’t understand what is meant when they hear someone say that America is “the land of the free.”
Michael Harp, Virginia Beach
Re “Divisive Biden” (Your Views, Sept. 27): The writer defines Webster’s definition of a demagogue as “a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power.” Sounds like our former, and hopefully never again, President Donald Trump to me.
Richard DeSilver, Manteo, North Carolina
from
https://digitalalaskanews.com/letters-for-oct-2-youngkins-transgender-polices-will-compound-the-teacher-shortage/
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