College scandal musn’t derail American Dream

When federal prosecutors announced that elites allegedly cheated and bribed their way into top colleges like Yale and Stanford, I was meeting with nonelite high-school students at Zenith Academy, a Columbus charter school. I encouraged them — mostly children of refugees and immigrants — to visit college as a step toward enrollment.

I was frustrated by the juxtaposition of our conversation with this scandal — the wealthy bending rules while these newest Americans in Ohio try to figure out the American Dream. How would I explain line-cutting to working-class families? Here’s my attempt:

1.) Cheating is as old as testing. Most people don’t cheat and most cheaters eventually get caught.

2.) Excess is unsustainable and ultimately falls under its own weight.

3.) We (as Americans) air our dirty laundry on the front page, which is a corrective counterbalance to humankind’s flawed nature.

4.) Parents are the problem, not the kids. Prosecutors said in many of the cases the students were not aware of deceptions that created “side doors” to enter elite colleges.

5.) Employers want smart, hard-working, innovative applicants, not ringers.

I’d acknowledge that upward mobility in America has been uneven, particularly in rural areas and among minorities. Access to higher education is part of the engine of upward mobility, which is an important component of the American Dream.

We will learn from the excesses of this scandal and hopefully correct errors. We owe it to the American Dream — and to the newest Americans at places like Zenith Academy — to assure that a college degree at an institution of their choice starts with fair admission. Robert Stewart, Athens Director, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University

True Americanism respects everyone

Bahai Americans, Buddhist Americans, Christian Americans, Islamic Americans, Jewish Americans, Mormon Americans, Sikh Americans — Americans of any faith or no faith — we are all Americans. Anti-islamisism is anti-american.

Joe H. Carr, Upper Arlington

Residents voice concern on traffic signal removal

As residents of north central Columbus, my community and I are very much concerned about the planned removal of the traffic signal at the intersection of Brentnell and Woodward avenues.

The city's Division of Traffic Management said studies have shown that not enough pedestrians use this intersection.

The community is concerned because this is a very busy street and many serious accidents has occur on it; one just happened on Thursday.

Neighbors' properties have been damaged because of the many accidents. People drive at high rates of speed.

Removing the traffic light would increase the accidents and damages to neighbor’s properties.

The city study on pedestrian usage is only part of the reason for this traffic light; safety is the most important reason.

We have reached out to our city officials and we have tried petitions and nothing seems to change the city plans; I guess someone has to lose a life for them to see the need for this traffic signal at this intersection.

Where is our voice?

Reggie Mcmillian, Columbus President, Woodland Civic Association

Electoral College is archaic and corrupt

Mark Fohl's Sunday letter states that "Ohioans are stupid" if legislators abolish the electoral college.

If we look at history we see that the founding fathers didn't intend for anyone to vote who wasn't a landowner and slaves were counted as of a person for slaveowners in the South to compensate for the more-populated North. How long will we continue this archaic philosophy?

The national election is for president of all 50 states; we are not voting for governor of each state.

We fight wars to spread democracy to others, yet in the past 40 years the loser has "won" twice, thanks to an outmoded and corrupt system.

Phil Schick, Columbus

Where's the outrage over censorship by Democrats?

Just last year The Columbus Dispatch joined other national newspapers to condemn President Trump for attacking the freedom of the press. Since then we have seen campaign events by freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez that have banned the press. New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat, has threatened to call police on a reporter.

Now Rep. Adam Schiff, D-calif., wants to ban speech on Amazon by forbidding the selling of books which disagree with the government‘s position on vaccinations. However absurd or apparently or patently false the speech may be, where does this end? What if the formulation of vaccines, and not vaccination itself, is a legitimate concern? Is that concern to be banned?

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press and protects our right to express our beliefs or concerns and report them. Where is The Dispatch's condemnation of the Democratic Party's move to ban free speech, press and thought? To condemn one party without condemning the other raises concern about who the press is representing and what its agenda is.

I look forward to an op-ed condemning the Democratic Party’s moves to censor speech.

Joshua Mathias, Columbus

Skyglider story, Pelanda enhanced public safety

Kudos to Dispatch reporters Marc Kovac and Bill Bush for unearthing information leading to the startling revelation that a safety warning about the State Fair’s Skyglider ride was withheld from the Ohio Department of Agriculture by fair officials.

As a former safety administrator for the Ohio Department of Transportation, I find this to be an absolutely appalling lack of communication and transparency. Why would this vital information not be shared with those who could potentially prevent yet another amusement-ride tragedy?

I commend Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda for taking action to require that similar safety bulletins be communicated with her inspection staff.

I was privileged to work with some very talented and caring people who were members of ODOT’S labor-management safety committee. Our discussions and information-sharing were open and honest.

Akmal Salam, Pickerington