Letters to the Editor: Dec. 30, 2021

A shoutout for Moms for Liberty

Given that some elements of our society are burning down police stations and looting stores, I cannot understand why some of our educators and elite members of society are so critical of Moms for Liberty, whose primary purpose is to protect and oversee the education of children.

Are members of Moms for Liberty a bit loud at times? Yes. But often those in authority have difficulty paying attention to polite conversation that disagree with their own beliefs and ideology.

Cray Little, in his Dec. 18 letter, which was critical of Moms for Liberty, correctly points out that critical race theory began as an examination of structural racism in our legal system. But as Robin Eubanks documents in her book “Credentialed to Destroy: How and Why Education Became a Weapon,” CRT has been adapted over the years by some academics to teach elementary students that they may be racist.

Children who come from families under the poverty level or from dysfunctional families are at a disadvantage as they are introduced into public education. But rather than assisting them in their introduction to education through increased mentoring, psychological assistance and food programs, many critical race theorists believe that to create an “equitable” environment the more advantaged students need to be torn down mentally and psychologically to the level of the disadvantaged students.

Chairman Mao Zedong in the Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976 undertook this same approach to create increased “equity” in Chinese society. The economic growth in China only flourished once Chairman Deng Xiaoping ended the Cultural Revolution.

Of course, we need greater economic equity in our society, but history documents that raising all the boats is a better way than lowering all the boats to the same level.

Stanford Erickson, Vero Beach

Predatory lenders have captive market

I have worked alongside teenagers, and 20- and 30-somethings taking work out-of-town in unskilled positions with low education requirements because they lacked skills and education. They wanted steady work but no local spots for them.

These were basically vagabond younger people trying to escape their roots in poverty. The vast majority were white males who had no bank accounts and no one had explained banking and usury to them. They would spend hours on Friday nights in line at check-cashing, store-front operations and were charged in the neighborhood of 15% of their paychecks cashed. This is predatory and exploitative of American white males as well as for brown, Black and Indigenous and both sexes. There are scores of these at these jobs on the road and they will increase with the rebuilding of our infrastructure.

I am sure these predatory lenders charged exorbitant rates not because of risk (paychecks rarely bounce.) but strictly because they had a captive market. Our lawmakers both in state capitals and in D.C. should be representing the best interests of these taxpayers and not that of the fat cats.

Urge them in D.C. to vote on the 2022 budget appropriations bill which includes $6 million in funding for postal banking. At state and local levels a crackdown and reform are sorely needed.

Richard C. Silvestri, Fort Pierce

The American founders aspired to ‘a more perfect Union'

Amazing, isn't it? After 245 years of instituting and developing a federal republic, several groups are claiming "foul" and promoting the conversion to either a socialistic or communistic form of governmental control; due to the efficiency in which either type produced an idealized state of mutual equally shared public existence.

Really? I, as many, many others, must reject this premise based on the actual reality of that which actually transpired — in many nations globally.

The founders of the United States of America sought refuge from centuries of authoritarian/ monarchial bondage under the concept of "Divine Rule.” They were British settlers who lived under and grew up influenced by the codes of ethics related to European standards of living. Yet they chose to rectify the inconsistencies and the long-held inhumane actions.

As ideologues, they sought to develop and sustain "a more perfect Union.” Throughout my educational process, and perhaps yours, I was repeatedly reminded that "perfection" represented a highly esteemed concept goal or virtue, which in reality could never be achieved. As behavioral scholars will attest, this represents a positive motivational tool or setting which is currently being rejected and replaced by negativity and self-deprecation.

Unfortunately, any younger generation, devoid of perspective, may indeed "take the bait" and believe/adopt the premises of a social agenda under which they unknowingly may be taken advantage of.

Perhaps we have had it too easy lately, or have become lazy or indifferent to mis-messaging, deceptive actions and rhetoric, all which may prove diabolical, self-serving and ultimately fatal. The pendulum continues to swing.

Gary S, Weiner, Port St. Lucie

NATO couldn't accept Putin’s demands

Having recently read the demands that Vladimir Putin has made of NATO, I can only assume he is under pressure from the hawks among his supporters because of Russia's economy and corruption. As I read those demands they are ones that NATO countries would not accept under any circumstances. If they did then the European populations would protest and most likely vote out those responsible for accepting the demands.

I can only assume Putin thinks he can bully President Biden and others like he did President Obama and get away with it. I don't think it will work this time with Biden and Europe.

Edward Marasi, Port St. Lucie

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Letters to the Editor: Dec. 30, 2021