On public school desegregation, NC seems to be headed back to 1954 | Opinion
Back to 1954?
The writer is director of teacher education at North Carolina Wesleyan University.
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that legalized segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Yet, here we are 70 years later watching the resegregation of public schools.
In our state and across the country, the tools maintaining this drive towards quasi-legalized segregation continue to be vouchers and charter school policies.
If we work to fully integrate and equally fund our public schools, and remove the voucher system, we will see a positive impact on our society at large. As children get to know and respect those who are racially, ethnically and socioeconomically different from themselves, as adults they will implement the ideal that “all ‘men’ are created equal”
To do otherwise, we may find ourselves in a society 70 years from now that is more representative of the hatred of 1954.
Kelvin Spragley, Rocky Mount
School vouchers
Regarding “Parents lobby NC House GOP for private school voucher plan,” (Aug. 1):
These parents are asking for our state tax dollars to fund their kids’ private school tuition instead of that money going to public schools. School voucher money given to private school parents deprives our public schools — which serve all students in this state.
I pray that years from now we’ll look back at this insane program of funding private, often religious-based schools with public tax dollars as the most irresponsible legislation ever devised by the GOP. Oh wait, there was that bathroom bill... And the ballot initiatives to amend the state Constitution. Alas, so much recklessness to choose from.
Brad Bradshaw, Raleigh
Robinson, abortion
When he was young and in a big fix Mark Robinson believed abortion access was a necessary thing. As a candidate — now in a fix of another kind — he says he now believes in abortion up to 12 weeks. His new stance on abortion is a practical one.
There are many people who don’t believe abortion should be legal until they need it themselves. Let’s be forgiving of Robinson, his wife and all women who choose abortion — and let’s return to the abortion law we had for 50 years before the Dobbs decision.
Janice Woychik, Chapel Hill
Dangerous liberal?
Republican leaders were quick to label Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz as “dangerously liberal.”
Is Walz dangerously liberal because he advocates universal background checks and the banning of assault weapons? Or perhaps it is his support for the protection of Social Security and Medicare and the preservation of the Affordable Care Act. Or maybe it is his support for a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her reproductive health.
Walz and presidential nominee Kamala Harris know that most voters support the positions they have taken, and these commitments will likely determine the outcome of the next election. Republicans should be worried.
Thomas K. Spence Jr., Sanford
Congress
As sanctimonious members of Congress in both parties excoriated the Secret Service director for her failure to do her No. 1 job — prevent assassination attempts — and insisted she resign, one could only agree with their conclusion.
Using the same logic, since job No. 1 for Congress is passing a complete budget prior to the start of a new fiscal year, all of Congress should resign if the budget is not in place.
Since Congress hasn’t passed a timely budget for 25 years, voters should demand accountability. Every candidate must commit to resign if the budget is not in place before the fiscal year begins.
Thomas Shute, Raleigh
ACC realignment
The ACC is dead. Yes, there is a large group of teams from around the country that will sometimes play together, but the excitement of the interplay between schools like NC State, Wake Forest, UNC and Virginia is over. We will continue to follow a couple of the schools that are important to us, but we will no longer watch an event simply because it is between two ACC teams.
Robert C. Jensen, Holly Springs
