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Letters to the Editor: Dec. 10, 2021

Feed the good wolf

A recent writer objects to children being exposed to political or other ideologies in schools.

In fact, children are continuously subjected or exposed to varied ideologies, opinions and social behaviors by parents and other family members, along with politicians, religious organizations, friends, fellow students, websites and other daily contacts. Some of these ideologies are not consistent with a democratic society in which all are welcome, but all are due an equal opportunity education in a supportive environment — ideally, one of respect and compassion.

A school board and staff have a choice of either creating an environment consistent with the law and societal peace or not. Are school board members and staff who fear rainbow flags and Black Lives Matter displays openly opposing societal and legal rights they hope to remove from schools, and instead supporting disruption of the educational environment?

A board should establish policy that supports the display of rights and responsibilities to guarantee a safe and supportive educational experience for all students, especially those who rightfully fear discrimination and harassment.

There is a story of an old Cherokee teaching his grandson about life.

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves.

“One is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

“The other is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

“The same fight is going on inside you — and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.”

Our schools and other governmental agencies need to be feeding the good wolf.

Carol Laurich

McMinnville


The good of all

Our world seems to me in a very bad moral condition. It appears the worst part of this is the recognition there are people who plan and hope to make it that way.

I believe we need to look past personal issues and try to move on for the good of all and in order to keep going forward and progress. We need to come to the best solutions for all.

If you have to win everything, nobody really wins anything.

Janet De With

Yamhill


Speak with, not at

A follower of News-Register letters told my husband he is certain I’m a liberal. This assumption immensely amuses me, as I recall a conversation with a conservative friend who concluded I must surely be Republican.

When did it become impossible to hold more than one opinion or be essential that we label one another? When did an opinion on a single issue serve to define us in our entirety?

The joy of conversations with my Republican friend is the discovery of the issues upon which we agree. It is the assurance that, even as we may disagree, we love America equally.

I fear that our growing political schism condemns future generations to a profoundly partisan America. I fear that history will recount this time as the beginning of the end of the America I love — and the one the late Bob Dole served so honorably. I think there is time to remedy this, but only if we begin immediately.

We must speak with one another, not at one another, in all forums. We must teach our children that personal freedoms can only exist in concert with personal responsibilities.

We must end the “me-ism” that is, as another friend wisely observed, rotting our society. We must return civics education to schools so students can learn how democratic government works.

We must return to our founding principle of a “loyal opposition,” which asserts that the party out of power may legitimately disagree with the party in power, but must always act in a manner that sustains our system of government. Simply put, we cannot keep throwing the precious baby out with the bathwater.

Disagreement should never be a justification for hate.

In the America I love, that which unites us always overcomes what divides us. Or is all that over now?

Erma Vasquez

McMinnville

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