LETTERS: Teacher’s job description doesn’t include indoctrination

Classroom politics

It's no secret that children in our schools are routinely indoctrinated with far-left propaganda, but apparently attempts at subtlety have been abandoned when it comes to the 2016 presidential race. A 17-year-old local high school student, attending a Marco Rubio rally, told the Review-Journal that her government teacher initially offered extra credit to anyone who got ejected from Donald Trump's rally, but later changed his mind, fearing the possibility of violence ("Debate deluge," Tuesday Review-Journal).

First, why would a teacher even consider asking students to disrupt a political rally? Never mind that the teacher eventually came to his senses. Wouldn't it be more educational to suggest that students listen to the candidate and then report their own conclusions to the class?

Second, why is this teacher injecting his political opinions, prejudices and biases into his classroom? What happened to the art of teaching critical thinking? Does the school administration know that children are being subjected to this sort of brainwashing? Do parents know?

This teacher should be dismissed, or at least disciplined, for unprofessional behavior. For the record, I am not a supporter of Mr. Trump for the GOP nomination.

Ellen Shaw

Henderson

Transparent hypocrisy

I laughed out loud when I read the editorial demanding that the new Clark County School District teacher contract be made public immediately ("On openness," Wednesday Review-Journal). On page A1 of the same edition was a story about the request by major journalism organizations for the new owners of the Review-Journal to reveal themselves ("Group asks R-J owner to step forward"). Why were the new owners hiding? Does anyone see the irony?

Robert Bencivenga

Henderson

Gun laws and terrorists

Sen. Harry Reid has again blamed the GOP for the killings in San Bernardino, Calif. He claims that because the GOP won't support more gun control laws, we have more and more shooting incidents.

Maybe we need to remind Sen. Reid of two things. First, this happened in California, a state that has some of the strongest gun laws in the United States. And yet this couple had enough guns, ammunition and bombs to supply a group of people. How did this happen? As usual, the bad guys can get all the guns and ammo they want.

Second, this was a terrorist act, and thanks to President Barack Obama, who still refuses to acknowledge the seriousness of the terrorist problem and who claims it is under control, more terrorists are already in the United States ready to kill Americans. The president wants to bring in more refugees, claiming he is worried about the women and children. Thanks to all these whistleblowers from the CIA and the National Security Agency, we can no longer monitor the activities of these people, who want to kill more Americans.

Miguel Reyes-Cuerva

Henderson

Ignoring terrorism

This heinous killing of 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif., was not an issue of guns, despite what President Barack Obama and Sen. Harry Reid would have us believe. Plain and simple, whether these people admit it or not, this is a war by radicals of the Muslim faith attempting to annihilate the world of Christians.

Why has no media outlet voiced the fact that this was an attack on Christians at a Christmas party, by radical Islamic terrorists? Why is it that certain members of the Democratic Party, especially President Obama and Hillary Clinton, refuse to acknowledge that there are radical Islamic terrorists?

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a decision rendered in 1892, declared the United States a Christian nation. Our pledge of allegiance states, "one nation under God," not "one nation under Allah." Imprinted on our money is, "In God we trust," not "In Allah we trust." Winston Churchill, in a book published in 1899, warned the world about radical persons of the Islamic faith and what the consequences would be if the warning were not heeded.

Here we are, more than 100 years later, and our nation is under attack by radical Islamic terrorists intent on killing Christians. The Constitution grants us freedom to worship any religion we choose. It does not grant radicals of any faith the right to kill those who worship another faith. Americans, especially our elected representatives, need to stop being politically correct and afraid of offending these radicals, and do what needs to be done: rid the world of the radicals, so that all faiths can exist in peace in our country.

Kathleen M. Stone

Pahrump

Gun owners

While each mass shooting is tragic, the anti-gun crowd will never admit that 99.9999 percent of gun owners are not part of the problem. Most gun owners don't ever want to be in a position where it might become necessary to shoot someone.

John E. M. D'Aura

Henderson