To the Editor:

Copies of the Constitution should have been given to students

Posted

Help me to understand why the Constitution of the U.S. was not allowed to be distributed to the 8th-grade students in Chatham County Schools without parental consent.

I understand policy #5210. I agree with it. It would be interesting to know exactly how many parents did not want their students to receive the pocket Constitution — was it two, 10 or many more? The Constitution has stood the test of time for several centuries. Should we question it, as it is freedom for all people. It appears to me that perhaps the group that opposed the distribution of the Constitution may not have been against the constitution, but rather against the person or group that offered it to the school. I respect the school board’s decision, but I am certainly not in agreement with it.

Ed Spence
Siler City

Time to enter a new era

To the Editor:

Now that the mid-term elections are finally over and we near the end of 2022, I see a brighter future despite the challenges that still exist.

Here are a few reasons for feeling positive:

Nearly all who participated in the recent elections — whether they won or lost — saw the election process as fair. The exceptions, such as Kari Lake of Arizona, are few and stand out like a sore thumb. I respect and thank those who graciously accepted the results and reinforced our democratic principles.

The younger generation was a deciding factor in the Georgia senate contest and other critical elections across the country. They stood up for character. It’s not too late for those of us who are older to listen to our children and grandchildren.

We see people around the world — including Iran and China — paying the price in striving for freedom and justice. I am touched in hearing about Russian nationals joining the heroic efforts of Ukrainians in their fight against the brutality of what they describe as “Putin’s war.”

Our two U.S. Senators — Tillis and Burr — were among the 12 Republican members who joined all Democratic senators in passing the Respect for Marriage Act, designed to protect same-sex and interracial marriages.

I am heartened by people who do the right thing at their own peril. Liz Cheney is an excellent example of someone who put our nation first. Appropriately, she received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.

As we enter a new year, hopefully, we will enter a new era as well — one that facilitates voting as a civic duty rather than seeking to restrict it; one that values integrity among our public officials; one that holds people accountable for undermining our Democracy regardless of their status; one that sees the United States as a leader in promoting and supporting democratic principles across our country and around the world; and one that finds us working to be more unified in loving and peaceful acts of kindness and dignity.

Happy holidays to all.

Dennis W. Streets
Pittsboro