Worth of preschool should be about what’s best for kids
Edward Jones’ My View (“Pre-kindergarten — handle with care,” Feb. 3), puts the interests of the children first, and Simon Brackley’s My View (“Business should support investment in early childhood,” Feb. 3), puts the economy (business) first, i.e., parents and grandparents being happier and more productive at work. I agree with Jones that children do not need to be taught before kindergarten and that it should be a time to learn and explore on their own. Brackley mentioned teacher considerations. I have complete sympathy for teachers who are underpaid and often teach classes that are too large. That should be remedied. Whether preschool is good or bad for children can be debated, but what is good for business should not play a part in deciding.
Sharon Ahrens
Santa Fe
Divided we stand
Robert Siegel’s “Dumbocrats” were quick to express their complaints concerning his characterization of 2020 candidates (“Dems, some advice,” Letters to the Editor, Jan. 29). He is largely correct, but a white man who looks like us can be a progressive lacking the automatic racist, misogynist, wifely and homophobic rejection.
The USA, happily living under a slavers’ Constitution that disenfranchises the people in favor of empty states, is as divided as it was in the 1850s. Peaceful secession of left coast states (where Hillary had a 5,010,652 vote margin per the Federal Election Commission), without insanely attacking a “Fort Sumter” is becoming the last best option.
The post-Civil War amendments dismally have failed to unite us as a tolerant, gender-neutral population with a government of, by and for the people, but actually has brought us a rebirth of slavery using prisons (13th Amendment), corporate master personhood (14th Amendment) and no positive right to vote (15th Amendment) except as their husbands may direct them (19th Amendment), according to the plutocratic rulers who direct us from the bench.
Dr. Gerald M. Rosen
Santa Fe
Bad, bad bill
The so-called Right to Be Forgotten Act, House Bill 437, from freshman state Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, was a terrible idea (“Lawmaker tables own privacy bill amid blowback,” Feb. 2); but it wasn’t even an original terrible idea. In the 2017-18 New York State Assembly, Bill No. A05323 was introduced and subsequently abandoned shortly thereafter by its sponsors. In fact, HB 437 looks like it might have been cut-and-paste straight from 2017-18 NY A05323. They would both give an individual a right to force a publisher to remove “inaccurate, irrelevant, inadequate or excessive content” within 30 days of receiving such a request. They both would require the secretary of state to administer to act, and they both would levy fines of up to $250 per day for a publisher’s noncompliance. That someone would resurrect this bill in New Mexico is concerning; but ironically, sponsoring this dreadful legislation is something that will follow Rep. Romero around online for some time to come.
Zachary Fort
Albuquerque
New Mexico proud
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s executive order establishing a Cabinet-level task force to tackle the snowballing reality of human-caused climate change takes our state out of the lackluster ranks of the deniers fated to go down with the sinking ship of fossil fuel dependence and into the forefront of the effort to create a livable and sustainable future for all (“Governor adds N.M. to states in climate pact,” Jan. 30).
This is what leadership looks like: to read and take to heart the writing on the wall and act accordingly. Hold your heads high, New Mexicans. We are choosing life over death.
Yes, change is hard and frightening — but not as hard and frightening as what happens when needed changes are refused. This crisis is our opportunity to claim our place in the sun. If we take care of each other through the transition, we can do this. Today I am proud to be a New Mexican. Thank you, governor!
Dr. Gregg Manoff
Santa Fe