Observer Forum: Letters to the editor 01.29.16

Clark made the right call on CMS schools

My wife and I toted shovels to Piney Grove Elementary School. As a teacher there, my wife is used to going far beyond her job description, as most teachers do.

Shoveling all that ice-packed snow was beyond our abilities.

I say CMS Superintendent Ann Clark’s call was right on. If we can barely pay teacher assistants, we surely need to minimize million-dollar liability lawsuits.

Get those parents out there shoveling

Despite what CMS Superintendent Ann Clark says, volunteers to assist in snow and ice removal at schools should be applauded and encouraged.

Our schools suffer from the absence of parent and community participation.

A snow-day rally to put students back in school could be a catalyst for energizing the teacher/parent/community to ultimate benefit of student achievement.

Create some school passion and get in some exercise at the same time.

There’s 1 stadium, but 168 CMS schools

I have heard more than one person say that because Bank of America Stadium was cleared in time for Sunday’s game, CMS should have been open Monday.

The stadium is one location. There are 168 schools in the district.

While the stadium had volunteers come help clear the seats, I’m pretty confident that few people volunteered to help de-ice parking lots, sidewalks, and bus lots at our schools.

The Panthers are about entertainment. CMS is about learning, safety, and caring for our young community members.

Win or lose, I was taught to be humble

I have spent 30 years working with high schools and college students and strongly disagree with one of your points: “When you succeed, dab on them fools.”

I know I am an old-school athlete, but I was told be humble in winning and losing.

Remember, sports can build teamwork and leadership. It can also reflect the worst aspects of our society.

It is our job to make sure it remains a positive influence for our children.

How will Trump deal with foreign leaders?

And, how will Trump deal with the leaders of Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, ISIS, etc. after this?

Of course his followers will go along with it the same way they have gone along with everything else Trump has done or said. And that is really the problem.

They shouldn’t. Nor should anyone else.

Some toll opponents being hypocritical

I find something very confusing about the I-77 toll road debate.

I know that many of the people protesting having to pay a toll to use the new lanes are Republican and presumably agree with the tenets of their party.

These tenets include: small government, reduced taxes, reduced spending, and reduced welfare.

But in the case of I-77 they want taxpayers to foot the bill for widening the road. They do not want this private company to build it. They want the government to pay for it.

Sounds like when it is your ox being gored, it is OK to give up your political principles. But if it’s someone else’s ox, stick to your principles.

I’m singing different tune on that dome

To finish the song started by Forum writer Williams C. Barnes, with further apologies to Janis Joplin:

The game is played outside, where the surface is real.

Those domes are for sissies; keep a lid OFF my field.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Observer Forum: Letters to the editor 01.29.16."