Charges of ‘racism’ should be used sparingly Re: “Team Obama deals the race card against Perry,” Aug. 23
With reference to Timothy Carney’s column concerning the Obama camp trying to paint Texas Gov. Richard Perry as a racist, we need to make some important distinctions.
Racism is the assertion that a particular race is somehow inferior to other races, most typically for reason of their physical or mental attributes. These days, however, a mere criticism of the politics of a particular ethnic group is immediately branded as “racist” even when no assertion of any innate inferiority has been made.
Even a brief passing reference to the color “black” gets liberals jumping like fleas on a hot griddle, even when no connection between the color and people of African ancestry has been mentioned.
It is politically irresponsible to use the charge of “racism” with such reckless and paranoid abandon. Adolf Hitler was a true racist because he asserted that some races were somehow inferior to Aryans by virtue of their genetic inheritance. Let us not use this word until or unless somebody clearly attempts to compromise the basic civil rights of an entire group in our midst.
Lawrence K. Marsh
Gaithersburg
Let taxpayers vote for year-round school
Re: “Year-round school nice idea for future, leaders say,” Aug. 17
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson told WTOP that the question of year-round schooling “is a huge one for us because we experience summer loss, just like everybody else.” But other school leaders in the region are looking for ways not to implement year-round school.
Loudoun County School Superintendent Edgar Hatrick said, “Most of us are not looking for new ways to spend money.” Duane Arbogast, chief academic officer for Prince George’s County, agreed, noting that “45 days of school, followed by 15 days off, is too pricey for Prince George’s County Public Schools.”
However, statistics show that it costs more every year to incarcerate somebody than to keep them in school. So year-round school could save money, which taxpayers would like. Why not hold a referendum to let taxpayers decide?
Cargill Kelly
Manassas
Even blacks admit Obama is a failed president
A black presidential candidate is calling for President Obama’s impeachment, another black legislator wants him to resign, one of the most vocal members of the Congressional Black Caucus wants him out, while African-Americans are deserting him in droves. They all seem to agree that Barack Obama is a loser and that it’s time for him to go.
Obama is a failed president. He does not have any new ideas or plans for the national recovery. Worse, he does not have any common sense. Touring the cornfields of Iowa tooling around in a Canadian-manufactured luxury bus that cost upward of a million dollars and talking about creating jobs for Americans?
To top it all, Obama has a bunch of incompetent czars and hangers-on around him that keep pulling him lower and lower at a cost of more than $50 million annually. CEOs of major corporations do not have any more than 10 top advisers because that is all that any one boss can manage.
Louis Ginesi Dominguez
Warrenton
