Founders right about Electoral College
For those of you who are still not over the results of the 2016 election and think the "popular" vote should rule, I have a question.
Does it matter to you if dead people vote? Or how about people in our country illegally? Should they be able to vote?
Do you think it would be a good representation of the country if the candidate receiving the "popular" vote wins less than 500 counties (as Hillary did) out of the more than 3,000 counties there are in the U.S.?
There was a good reason our Founding Fathers established the Electoral College.
I'm sure all of you on the left would love for the state of California to choose all future presidents.
Gianina Agosta, Dayton
***
Tread carefully to achieve equity
With regard to equity in education, I have read a lot of claptrap from various parties who should know better. The actual agenda being pushed by UnifiEd is a poorly disguised attempt at "back door" busingdesegregation like what was tried back in the 1970s.
It didn't work then, and it won't work now.
First, I wholeheartedly support the idea of magnet schools like CSAS and the Normal Park Museum Magnet school. Those schools are winners and should be expanded.
Second, any "open enrollment" must allow for students from the community around said school to be in front of the line at school registration. Any slots left over can be filled by students from outside of the attendance zone. Any other method will seriously backfire.
Third, any redrawing of school attendance zones, which artificially forces students from one community, to have to attend a school outside of their community is a nonstarter. Such an attempt can and will wind up in a courtroom.
A word to the wise is sufficient.
Ronald Williams
***
Trump-Russia lovefest disaster in the making
Often there are letters to the editor suggesting that turning to religion will save our country. I, however, have come to the conclusion that religion is a big part of the problem.
Blocks of voters, like evangelicals, the NRA and racist organizations are supporting Donald Trump no matter how unfit he is to represent our democratic nation.
It is obvious that Trump is using your single-minded desires to mislead you into believing that he is something great while he is destroying our democracy and ruining our standing in the world.
Trump has not admitted nor addressed any misdeeds by Russia during and after his campaign, but their attacks by misinformation are a fact. There is an ongoing investigation into the Russia attacks and any complicity with Russia.
If Trump stops the Mueller investigation, we will have lost democracy in this country. Trump loves the Russian government, where a few billionaires run the country, your word is a command, and there is no problem being re-elected.
When the likes of Trump, Murdoch and the Kochs are our oligarchs, that is when you will lose your religious and gun rights.
John S. Winesett, Lakesite
***
Shumaker wrong, vaping can help
Physicians such as Nita Shumaker have a responsibility to study the science before opining publicly, but her recent column on vaping suggests that she neglected to do this or just ignored evidence she didn't like.
Please, if you are a smoker and have failed to quit with traditional methods like the patch and gum, don't listen to the nonsense being put out there about vaping.
Dr. Shumaker should retract her false statements.
Gloria J. Cox