Sounding off: When will political correctness end? – TribLIVE

The Associated Press article Pa. school district can keep Redskins name, but logos might go reported that the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission has ordered the Neshaminy School District in Bucks County, whose sports teams nickname is the Redskins, to get rid of all logos and imagery that negatively stereotype Native Americans, although they may keep the nickname (often shortened to simply the Skins). So what will their logos and imagery be? Redskin potatoes?

I graduated from Pennsbury High School in Bucks County in 1961. Neshaminy was our bitter rival in all sports, especially football. In all of the years I lived in that area, I never once heard anyone complain about the nickname, the logos, imagery or anything else about Neshaminy being offensive to anyone.

This decision is political correctness garbage at its worst. And by the way, there are currently eight school districts in the WPIAL that have Native American nicknames (four Indians, two Warriors, two Raiders including Uniontowns Red Raiders), and logos/imagery ranging from Indian heads to feathers and arrows, such as the Aliquippa Quips, who use an Indian head logo. Apparently, we in Western Pennsylvania are not as PC as our neighbors to the east (thank heaven).

I suppose it wont be very long before other social justice warriors choose to attack any school district that has the nickname Devils as promoting satanic worship (there are three in the WPIAL). That might even generate a lot of support in our increasingly Godless society.

David Reese, Mt. Lebanon

Wile E. Coyote Democrats

The Democrats newest made-for-TV investigation into President Trump is turning into another Wile E. Coyote cartoon, this time starring Adam Schiff. The Dems spend most of their time plotting some way to capture Trump, and it seems every one of their schemes blows up in their faces.

This is the third episode of the same story in the past three years. First was Russia, Russia, Russia. The explosion from the Mueller investigation is just beginning to sizzle. It will really catch fire as soon as the preliminary report of the investigation into the Obama administrations attempt at a coup detat is released.

The second act was the Democrats failed attempt to destroy Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, thus demeaning Trump. But the stories told by the witnesses were unable to be verified. Criminal referrals against several of the storytellers remain unaddressed, according to nine Republican senators who wrote a letter to Attorney General Bill Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray in October, seeking information on where the investigations stand.

And now we have the ever-indignant Schiff bringing an assortment of bureaucrats whose feathers got ruffled by Trump on stage to tell us no criminal nor impeachable activity occurred in his dealings with Ukraine.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Wile. E. Coyote blows up again.

Bob Jacobs, Unity

Wolfs veto of abortion ban

Gov. Tom Wolf on Nov. 21 vetoed a bill, passed by the state Legislature, that would have prohibited abortions because of a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis.

I believe that any abortion, with the exception of saving the life of the mother, is out-and-out a murder. Not only are Wolfs statements about this subject discriminatory, they are wholly against Gods word.

When I watched the governor of New York sign the states law that allows abortion even up to the moment of birth, I saw in his face nothing but evil. To Wolf I ask this question: Do you want to stand before the supreme judge of us all and be asked why you did not defend those that God gave life to and why you determined that those with Down syndrome were especially pointed out?

I am praying that Wolf has a change of heart and does not have to answer these questions before almighty God on that great day of judgment. The decision for good or evil is up to you, Gov. Wolf; it is your immortal soul that hangs in the balance.

I have done what God has laid upon my heart to do and that is to send this letter as a warning from him. Those who are born with no health issues and those who are born with Down syndrome: Each is given special gifts from God and to abort them is to deprive the world of those gifts.

John T. Watson, North Huntingdon

Charter school misinformation

In the article Freeports cyber charter school is helping district save money, officials say, Freeport Area School District Superintendent Ian Magness said, In an outside cyber charter setting, there is very little accountability, and that is common knowledge across the commonwealth. This is a common misconception, but its not true.

Cyber charters are held to even more stringent standards than other schools in Pennsylvania. Cyber charters are governed by the same state and federal education mandates that apply to all public schools, plus additional oversight groups that school districts dont answer to, including the IRS, the Department of the Treasury, the auditor general, watchdog organizations for special education and civil rights, and more.

Unfortunately, due to this kind of misinformation, Pennsylvania now faces a school choice crisis.

Gov. Tom Wolf and Education Committee Chairman Curt Sonney are considering legislation that would force families to pay out-of-pocket if they send their children to charter schools outside their home district. They believe district-run charter schools are better than outside charters. But as a former brick-and-mortar schoolteacher who now teaches at a cyber charter, Ive seen that this is untrue. Fortunately, Ive also seen students who were unable to get the support they needed from their home districts eventually become thriving learners after their families found the right cyber charter school that actually serves their needs.

Why should these families be forced to pay a penalty, or feel trapped by the same districts that have been letting them down?

Peter Mysels, Monroeville

The writer is a PA Distance Learning Charter School social studies teacher.

Trumps interference with Navy is dangerous

As a former Navy enlisted and officer, I am highly concerned with the commander-in-charge-of-White-House-chaos interference in Navy matters.

The commander-in-charge-of-White-House-chaos overruled the Navys decision to demote Chief Petty Officer and Navy Seal Edward Gallagher. Gallagher was convicted of posing with a dead detainee. President Trumps rationale was that he was standing up for our military. Trump also overruled the peer review ordered by Rear Adm. Collin Green, head of the Navy Seals, and by doing this he is undermining the Navys chain of command and adversely impacting discipline within the Navy. The peer review would have been conducted by senior Navy enlisted personnel.

The commander-in-charge-of-White-House-chaos, who knows nothing about our military, might have Navy personnel in command second-guessing their authority, which could be detrimental to naval operations in the world and could adversely impact our national security.

Donald Moskowitz, Londonderry, N.H.

Religious beliefs and adoption

I am deeply troubled by Pennsylvanias Department of Human Services, which refuses to grant a religious exemption to Catholic adoption agencies who place children with a family of a man and a woman (Catholics halt adoption, foster care programs in Greensburg, Pittsburgh over state rule.) According to a 2016 American Academy of Pediatrics report, Fathers do not parent like mothers, nor are they a replacement for mothers when they are not at home; they provide a unique dynamic and important contribution to the family and children. Same-sex couples do not give a child the unique parenting of both genders, male and female.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child advocates that the well-being of children should be of utmost importance in considering public policy. Apparently, Gov. Tom Wolf did not take children into consideration when he signed the executive order that included a nondiscrimination clause on sexual orientation and gender identity.

All adoption agencies must sign a contract to place children with same-sex couples who are interested in adopting, regardless of what the studies show is best for children. Religious and conscience beliefs of the agencies are not even considered.

Bernadette Cymbor, North Huntingdon

We need nurse practitioners

Ive been the patient of a talented and caring nurse practitioner for 30 years. I am writing to respond to the recent back and forth between nurse practitioners and doctors regarding full practice authority for nurse practitioners.

I trust my nurse practitioner, Cathy Grant. Shes the best health care person I ever went to. My wife, brother and grandkids feel the same way. When I go in for an appointment, she sits down and really listens to me. Sometimes she catches things I missed. If I ever need to see a specialist, she sends me to one.

I support House Bill 100, which would give Pennsylvania nurse practitioners full practice authority. We have plenty of people who need health care. We should do anything we can to make it convenient and affordable for them to get it. Right now, a lot of them have to wait for it or travel long distances, especially seniors.

I dont believe the naysayers for one simple reason: The bill only lets nurse practitioners do what they already do in other states like Maryland. If there was a problem, wed have heard about it by now. There are always going to be people who oppose change. But we need more health care, and it should be up to patients to decide where they get it. For me thats a nurse practitioner.

Charles Hoak, Slickville

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Sounding off: When will political correctness end? - TribLIVE