Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
I’m in lockstep with Ray Marcano on every one of his columns I’ve read so far, but I believe he totally missed the boat on HB 8. The GOP is hell-bent on destroying public education as we know it by, among other things, championing “parental rights”. Parents have always had rights. And there was a time they supported and worked in tandem with their children’s teachers to ensure the best education for their kids. But that’s a discussion for another day. Religion is a wonderful thing! But why do religious groups like LifeWise Academy insist on disrupting a public school’s academic day for religious instruction? There is more than enough time before and after school and weekends for this. Even more worrisome is the fact that release time for religious instruction will now be mandatory. Why is that necessary? School districts could already grant relief time for religious instruction if they choose. Groups like LifeWise have more power than local school boards. So much for local control of schools. Setting aside the “religious freedom” issue for a moment, interrupting the school day for religious instruction cuts into time that students might otherwise use to complete make-up work and do other school-related activities. I also see issues with kids who are excused from school for religious purposes returning to class with candy and toys that might make the kids who don’t participate envious. And what about the kids who have different beliefs? Who’s going to make sure they’re not bullied by other kids and possibly educators? If you have followed H.B. 8, you may have noticed that there was an effort to remove art and foreign languages from the “core courses” so that additional release time could be used for religious instruction. Fortunately, enough concerned people kept that out of the final bill. Sacrificing courses that would make students more well-rounded for religious instruction that can be provided outside of school hours makes no sense. Christian Nationalism is a real danger and this is a perfect example of the effort that they are making to insert their beliefs into every facet of American life. We should be very worried.
- Jeff Tingle, member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s Cincinnati Metro Chapter, Washington Twp.
It is high time we take the blinders off and address a serious issue. It is ridiculous that our state is the 6th worst nationally when it comes to number of human trafficking cases reported. Not only that, but Dayton has been identified as a human trafficking hub. We must act to stop this scourge upon society.
- Ronald Christensen, Committee to End Human Trafficking, Springfield
