Let’s work together to improve the school district

To the editor:

In response to yet another article featuring the complaints of Marzette Lewis, president of WAAK-UP, Westside Action Alliance Korps-Uplifting People, and her obvious disdain for our School Board and the district ("Inquiry targets allegations of West Prep racial discrimination," Thursday Review-Journal:

I was curious if anyone other than Ms. Lewis is ever interviewed regarding West Prep and the students who attend the school. She does not have children at that school -- or any other in the district, for that matter -- and yet she continues to voice opinions on how things are being handled in the school.

I have heard West Prep parents at the board meetings repeatedly state that they are pleased with the efforts and improvements the School Board has made, yet their opinions don't seem to be included in the articles.

If Ms. Lewis were to take a tour of schools outside her immediate locale, she would see that many have portable classrooms and restrooms and there are students of all races (including my own) who utilize them daily, and yet we parents don't seem to be screaming "discrimination" at every opportunity. We are also not yelling "discrimination" because our students don't receive the same per pupil funding that West Prep students do because we believe those students need the additional assistance.

Ms. Lewis has even gone so far as to complain that the School Board discusses "happy talk" or positive things happening in the district. One would think that would be a good thing, and I wish those stories would get more coverage.

It should be apparent that her attacks on the district are of a personal nature rather than a reflection of her true desire to work with those whose priority it is to provide an education for our children. During the tough budget times we face, working together and not against each other seems to be a more prudent direction to take.

Jennifer Tiffany

LAS VEGAS

Poked and prodded

To the editor:

I can appreciate the administration's reluctance to implement profiling into the Homeland Security policies against terrorism. Many in the corridors of power in Washington couldn't pass the scrutiny due to past and present actions, associations and published statements. Yet these people are influencing and even making the laws which are fundamentally transforming this nation.

Meanwhile, American citizens are prodded and probed at airports for the privilege of flying to see grandma. How did we let ourselves get into this situation?

KENT RISCHLING

LAS VEGAS

Also deserving

To the editor:

As we celebrate the Martin Luther King holiday on Monday, it might be appropriate to reflect how one individual has been so honored like none other -- not even our presidents. (They are all respected with Presidents Day.)

What is so gut-wrenching is the omission of two men of color who overcame numerous obstacles during the latter part of the 19th century in the Deep South and most definitely deserve to also be recognized.

Booker T. Washington, against all odds, founded The Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which is still operating today as Tuskegee University. George W. Carver, who as an accomplished botanist (he discovered the peanut) was instrumental in helping his colleague in the great endeavor to establish a private school of higher education for blacks.

Let us not forget that during that time bigotry and prejudice prevailed and the Ku Klux Klan was a powerful terrorist gang bent on eliminating blacks. In spite of these activities, Mr. Washington and Mr. Carver overcame and succeeded in their quest to help others better themselves.

In his autobiography, "Up From Slavery," published in 1901, Mr. Washington exposed in great detail the incredible suffering he experienced and how he overcame the many obstacles. But in spite of it all, the man never gave up on his dream. Sadly, the book has been out of print since 1973.

Whether this part of history has been eliminated on purpose or by mistake is debatable -- but for sure, America has been short-changed historically and ethnically in not honoring these two as part of this holiday.

VINCE BOGDAN

PAHRUMP

Pay up, kids

To the editor:

In response to Jim Day's Thursday editorial cartoon portraying a young man bent over with an old woman on his back (symbolizing our senior citizens), carrying her and her "costs" to society:

Mr. Day should be ashamed of himself. He too will be old some day and God forbid he needs some of those benefits shouldered by the young. Mr. Day forgets senior citizens have paid their dues. They have been cops and firemen, grocers and cabbies, soldiers and heroes. The senior citizen depicted in that cartoon could be anyone's mom or dad, grandfather or grandma.

Yes, there are some fortunate seniors who have amassed wealth for their old age, and yes, some have a pension to see them through their later years. But sadly, there are those who don't. Should we leave them lying in the streets as if they don't exist? Should we cover them with a tarp and just walk on by? My opinion is no.

I am a senior and am proud that part of my paycheck that I earned in my youth went to help to take care of our nation's seniors. How many of us could ignore our mothers or grandparents? Many nations honor their seniors, i.e. Japan.

Seems as if people such as Jim Day want to shoot those over 30.

Ron Moers

HENDERSON