Observer Forum: Letters to the editor 12.22.15

Which monuments are OK to remove?

I have a question for those lamenting the removal of Confederate monuments, which they say depict history.

What if those monuments depicted a family of slaves, dressed in tattered clothing, sitting in front of a shack that is close to falling down, or a slave hanging from a tree, or a slave bent over a table receiving lashes from a whip or a slave having a foot chopped off with an ax for trying to escape?

How would you feel if those monuments were being removed?

Let’s remember Iraq resolution correctly

In an effort to accurately recall the facts regarding the 2002 resolution that authorized possible war with Iraq, let’s not forget that the Bush administration brought great pressure to bear on members of Congress, including labeling opponents as being soft on terrorism. That was a stinging rebuke for any politician to bear in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Let us also recall that the ultimate goal for many who voted in favor of the resolution was not war, but rather to increase the prospects of a tougher U.N. proposal on weapons inspections. Within a month’s time, such inspections resumed in Iraq.

Finally, let us remember that Bush told Congress and the American public that war would be a last result. Does anyone actually believe that was the case?

It’s a waste to rewrite Common Core

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Common Core state standards. What many school districts and teachers failed to do, however, was to write local curriculum with the specifics – WHAT we want students to know and be able to do. This is like handing a contractor the building codes with no blueprint and expecting a house to suddenly appear.

The fault lies in the implementation, not the standards themselves. What a monumental waste of time to rewrite the standards!

Give us a gift. Pause Krauthammer

Even in this supposedly joyous season of Christmas, we readers of the Observer are not spared the vitriol of Charles Krauthammer as he continues to try mightily, week after week, to rid himself of that with which President Obama has somehow poisoned his system.

Has it occurred to the Observer that your continuing to run this man’s relentless tirade, is a health hazard, at least to some of us readers? I suggest you do something wholesome and just leave his space blank for a while.

Charlotte should be proactive on solar

Recent headlines announce that Charlotte is growing rapidly and successfully. And numerous articles around our country announce the wisdom of lowering prices for wind and solar energy programs.

One thing that would really put Charlotte on the map is a requirement that all new construction include the installation of solar panels. The city of San Francisco is on board, why not our town? Mayor Roberts: please note!

Screening could prevent shootings

One answer to the problem of preventing mass shootings in our schools is to install X-ray screening machines at all school entrances to detect and prevent weapons from entering school premises at all.

What is a human life worth?

Processed foods have a larger good

Megan Kimble presents the joys of an unprocessed food diet – for herself. But the world population has grown from about 2 billion to almost 7 billion people in the past 100 years, and having processed foods allows food to get to those 7 billion.

The 91 cents spent on “middle men” allows the rest of us to do more than tend our gardens. We can’t all write books about unprocessed food for a living.

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Observer Forum: Letters to the editor 12.22.15."