Critical Race Theory, immigration and the problems with Fentanyl among Herald letters

Kennewick board CRT policy a flop

Kennewick School Board’s policy against teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) makes a very strong case for homeschooling. The policy undermines student learning opportunities, teacher confidence, the community’s trust and even national security.

When added to the censorship and removal of books from school libraries, the anti-CRT policy is the latest official action to “institutionalize” racist practices and procedures that further limit all students’ access to factual knowledge, teachers of color and historical relevance.

Instituting a modified “Jim Crow” type, “separate but equal” educational policy for a multiracial student population is racist. Instead of separating/segregating students by buildings or neighborhoods (de-facto), Kennewick’s School Board will use the school curriculum and teacher intimidation to deprive its students of historical truths of the country’s genocidal and slave-dependent economic origin.

However, some supporters of the board’s decision allege that knowledge of these historical truths causes feelings of continuing shame and/or inferiority for some non-white students and feelings of guilt and/or continuing superiority for some white students. Nonetheless, teaching the nation’s historic and current efforts (Civil War; reparations) to atone for these racial injustices and their continuing legacy should not be forbidden but officially encouraged to keep positive change moving forward.

Dallas Barnes, Pasco

U.S. immigrant policies flawed

Economic justice can mean different things to different people. No worker is illegal when the opportunity exists to contribute to society and raise their standard of living.

Seeking a better life is not something inherently wrong. People may be considered illegal if U.S. government regulations discriminate against certain groups from the Caribbean and Central America. Before repeal of the wet-foot, dry-foot policy in 2015, the Cuban Adjustment Act (1966) gave special preference to Cubans.

Ideally, economic justice can be an important measure of stability, yet, anti-Cuban propaganda “stuck in the past” harms the ability to change political relations that improved briefly during the Obama administration.

Two close neighbors with different forms of government that have much in common in regard to agricultural production, medical technology and climate disaster relief are denied their chance to cooperate to make a better world.

This travesty exposes a double standard in U.S. foreign policy. A disconnect occurs when disregard for international law and denial of immigrant rights prevent cultural interaction. Cuba is, in fact, not a threat to U.S. national security nor does Cuba support state terrorism.

In reality, as long as Congress hesitates to end the blockade, one-way trade can never be fair because there is no equal exchange.

Richard Grassl, Pasco

We need to take Fentanyl seriously

Enough is enough! Local leaders need to quit ignoring the Fentanyl epidemic that is destroying lives in our community. Forget COVID, forget local budget concerns, forget gun violence, there is something right now in our community that is killing hundreds, if not thousands .... Right now, it is legal to possess small amounts of Fentanyl, yet it is killing more people today than automobile accidents. And it is not discriminatory to race, or your social place in society. It hits those first-time users and those who have struggled for years.

It is time for our leaders to quit ignoring this huge epidemic, and begin addressing the elephant in our community. Fentanyl is killing too many of our family and friends. Please help those who cannot help themselves.

Sean Cutshall, Richland