LETTERS: Government control of kids closing in

To the editor:

Be careful what you wish for. In Glenn Cook’s July 20 column (“Nanny State draws out both sides”), Elizabeth Hershkovitz was quoted as saying, “While I don’t want the government in my bedroom or business, the concept of providing every child an advocate gladdens my heart.”

Hmm. I don’t know how much more “in your business” a government-assigned nanny can be. I believe it is naive to think the government will only concern itself with the interests of the child. It is the equivalent of putting a surveillance camera on your home and expecting it to only record the burglars.

Mr. Cook also quoted Robert Kelley, who favored government intrusion as well: “Children are not the property of their parents to be used as they please.” I do not know any parent who thinks of their child as “property.” However, the government does. In fact, it thinks of our children as human capital, an asset. It’s repugnant.

Brian Reilly’s prediction from the same article for mandatory preschool is already upon us. Early Learning Guidelines are being pushed hard by the federal government. Race to the Top grants have already been offered. Nevada does not have mandatory kindergarten yet, but we have Early Learning standards written and ready to go. Why?

By the way, Nevada defines “Early Learning” as “infant and toddler.” So, my infant can’t sit up or say “mama,” but the government wants her in school? Sure, no funny business going on there.

And let’s not forget the can’t get-it-in-the-classroom-fast-enough Social and Emotional Learning. This is where the government dispenses with all pretenses and just raises our children for us. SEL is buried in other slick sounding names, as well — character development, mental wellness, personal life habits. Whatever the chosen cover for it, it is still outside the purview of public education. Spiritual beliefs, social understanding, moral lessons, ethical behavior, emotional development and more are things parents are responsible to their children for, not the government.

I am not angry with the comments of Mr. Kelley or Ms. Hershkovitz; on the contrary, their comments made me sad — sad to think that they would hand off the responsibility of raising their children, assuming they have any children

Certainly the public at large may have expectations that parents raise their children to have a baseline understanding of social courtesies and behave in kind. But that is not what we are talking about here. What we are talking about is much more sinister and much closer to fruition than any of us would like to admit.

CHRISTINA LEVENTIS

HENDERSON

Solar social justice

To the editor:

Lewis Jennings’ letter throws everything that’s divisive in society against the wall to see what sticks (“Less affluent shortchanged by solar,” July 23 Review-Journal). Mr. Jennings’ every-wedge-issue argument defines the widening gap of festering division that it seems we’ll never overcome.

I don’t know why Mr. Jennings was so motivated to fight net metering. He should have given ink to how unfair the stock market and the housing market are to have-nots, and how unfair the educational system is to poor regions. Or how unfair Tesla is to most of us. After all, I want to be to be able to go green, too.

Then it all came spewing out when Mr. Jennings threw down the social justice card. Equal access to the green agenda can’t just begin with an argument for access to a solar panel. Mr. Jennings needs to go back a few steps in his political activism.

BRUCE KESTER

HENDERSON

Reid blind on border

To the editor:

Just when you thought Sen. Harry Reid couldn’t make a bigger buffoon out of himself, he sticks his foot in his mouth once again. To say that our southern border is secure while tens of thousands of immigrants are streaming across it is one of the goofiest statements ever uttered by this man, and he has certainly uttered a few. He is an embarrassment to the country in general and the state of Nevada in particular. Open your eyes, Sen. Reid, and see what is really going on in the country.

TIM HICKS

NORTH LAS VEGAS

Compromise cornerstone

To the editor:

Isn’t it interesting that many people love to point fingers and complain about the other side, such as Rick Reynolds? (“Media and the GOP,” July 22 Review-Journal letters.) Our leadership and the people have forgotten the most important key words that describe our country: “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

The only time we really should understand party lines is during an election. Once you get elected, you no longer represent your party, you represent the entire community and an entire nation. Our president obviously forgot that one absolute. He always calls out Republicans. And then those Republican leaders do absolutely the same thing, and who ends up paying the price? All of us.

It appears the people and our elected officials forgot a famous quote: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Never before have those words meant so much to so many. Mr. Reynolds must realize that division will only lead to more chaos.

PATRICK CASALE

LAS VEGAS