Column misleads on U.S. boat strikes
Mark Thiessen’s opinion smearing Barack Obama as doing the same thing as Donald Trump (Free Press editorial page, 12/5/25) is a lie, period. The drone strikes carried out during the Obama administration were congressionally approved and mandated under post-9/11 legislation — any and all associated with the attack are to be terminated.
Congress has not approved or mandated death penalties for drug traffickers, especially in international waters where U.S. laws don’t apply. The Trump regime has not gotten congressional approval at all!
I know Mr. Thiessen knows he is lying. It seems that is what that side of the paper is for, spreading lies. Readers beware.
Michael W. Smith
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Student: U.S. schools need reform, rigor
In response to Allison Schrager’s “How it’s possible for AI to affect labor” (Free Press editorial page, 12/2/25):
I fully agree that America’s education system does not fully equip students for the current AI workforce. However, the matter does not necessarily call for more immigrant students; it simply shows the need for a more challenging educational system.
As a college student and an immigrant, I found myself breezing through America’s education system. I used to pull all-nighters for a B in my country, but in the United States, I only needed to attend class to get an A. I feel that America’s education system does not challenge students. In one school year, students take a course and forget all about it after finals week. The same pattern happens the next year. In my country, I had to use the knowledge and skills I learned from the previous year to understand the courses for the current year. The school system reflected this; there would be a final covering all the previous years.
Establishing a more challenging educational system would require students to develop the critical skills to work with AI more effectively.
Hehra Bediako
Collegedale