Social studies standards problematic; don't be duped on legalizing marijuana: Your letters

Don't be duped on marijuana legalization

Large sums of outside money will soon be pouring into South Dakota in a highly-sophisticated campaign to dupe voters into legalizing recreational marijuana on Nov. 8.

Marijuana legalization has a dark side which should unite South Dakotans in vigorous opposition.

Colorado's seen a significant increase in teen suicides over the past five years, with “marijuana as the number one drug found when toxicology is reported," per the Hudson Institute. There's “substantial research linking heavy and early marijuana use to an increased risk of self-harm among users" with that being “worsened in the presence of a commercial marijuana industry.”

Pot legalization has ushered in expansive illegal grow operations in Oklahoma, California and Colorado -- and a burgeoning black market for street-grade pot with the added dangers of "laced marijuana."

Police in Pueblo, Colo., put out a warning in March 2022 about an “increase in overdoses tied to marijuana being laced with illicit narcotics” like fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The Denver Post reported, June 10, 2021, on “another black market and money-laundering operation being taken down” -- an operation involving millions of dollars of illegal marijuana with “21 individuals funneling the money to China.”

A 2020 law enforcement intelligence report from the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area identified “278 similar black market cases in 2019 involving the seizure of 7.5 tons of marijuana and over 15,000 marijuana edibles, destined for 29 U.S. states.”

Advocates for legalization were “adamant that a major purpose was to create a regulated market that would drive out the criminal element and end the violence that drives the black market." It fact, the exact opposite has happened, with a thriving black market still dominating the trade, according to the Hudson Institute.

South Dakotans should send a decisive message to keep our state clean and reject marijuana legalization.

Bernie Hendricks, pharmacist, Brookings

Department of Education shouldn't adopt new social studies standards

I read this is in the New York Times on July 17, 2022: “Vladimer Putin is making sweeping changes to school curriculums to shape the views of young Russians.”

This sounds like what is happening in South Dakota. We had a process for developing new social studies standards The 46 educators met and presented the proposed standards to the governor and she threw them out before the public even had a chance to give input. She helped choose the 15 people, only three of whom are teachers, for the committee, including people from out of state who don’t even work in education. Why can’t we put our faith in our own excellent teachers to determine what is best for the children of South Dakota?

After reading through the standards for first grade, it is obvious to me that current teachers working at that level were not involved in the process. I don’t think that you can expect first-graders to recite the beginning of the Declaration of Independence or the preamble to the Constitution with the vocabulary that is used in it. With the focus on reading and math, why would you want to waste precious class time learning something like that that won't be meaningful to them? I can’t speak for upper grades and high school, but these concepts are not appropriate for first-graders.

I can’t believe that taxpayers have paid more than $500,000 to develop social studies standards. It is time for the governor to keep out of education and leave it for teachers in South Dakota who know the best practices in education. Please, for the good of our children, don’t let the Board of Education adopt these standards. You can make comments by going to the Board of Education Standards to give your input.

Sandra L. Lauer, Sioux Falls

How are the gubernatorial candidates doing?

Last month, I wrote a list of items I hoped our gubernatorial candidates would reflect in their campaigns. Here is where just some of the items stand as of August.

Hope: The candidate will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Actual: Early campaign ads have destroyed this one. They go beyond political fibbing and are filled with falsehoods a.k.a. lies.

Hope: lf elected, the candidate will commit to serving a four year-term.

Actual: One candidate will not commit to this.

Hope: lf elected, the candidate will use education professionals to handle their own affairs and let them write their own curriculum standards.

Actual: A recent study to determine if divisive concepts were being taught has been sealed rather than openly shared. It appears we might have a curriculum written by Hillsdale College and not South Dakota education professionals.

Hope: lf elected, the candidate will use negotiation and minimize the use of litigation at taxpayer expense.

Actual: A recent appeals court decision regarding Mount Rushmore fireworks cost the state $230,000 and the money went to a Virginia firm.

Hope: If elected, the candidate will reflect moderate views of neither extreme and will not encourage a radical agenda.

Actual: The recent return of a campaign advisor notorious for sexual harassment and a stubbornness to never backtrack, apologize or admit a mistake means a radical agenda will be pursued. This is how it stands one month into the real campaign. I'll keep monitoring both campaigns to see how they measure up.

Mark S Smith, Huron

Stop whining and do something about food costs, climate change

Now that fuel prices are going down, the South Dakota congressional delegation is whining about food prices and blaming President Biden.

The West, South and Midwest have been in a drought for years. Large areas of the country are now in severe drought/heat conditions. The Colorado River is drying up. Maybe yours is next? An American Farm Bureau survey noted that three-fourths of farmers say this year’s drought will mean significant crop, beef and income loss. And 37% of famers are plowing under crops. Many ranchers are losing cattle or are selling off herds they have been raising for years. Farmers in Texas reported the largest reduction in herd size, down 50%. New Mexico is down 43%, Oregon 41%.

The nation receives most of its produce, fruit, nuts and vegetables from California. With the current severe drought resulting in less water, there will be little or no food for your table.

What is the South Dakota delegation doing to address these issues? They are blaming the president and addressing concerns with who owns farmland -- nothing that resolves the climate issues such as drought, disappearance of rivers, or land for food production.

My concern beyond drought and river waters is how the land is used. Agribusiness legislation has dealt with farmers producing food products. Now, farmland is used more in the energy field through biofuels or commercial use through bioplastics. This transfer increases the cost of food as millions of acres are taken out of the production. Congress should be promoting alternatives for communities to grow food rather than promoting U.S. Department of legislation that subsidizes farmers using their land for energy and other commercial products. The delegation should stop whining about the cost of food and start doing something about climate change, drought and land use.

Roger Ingebritson, Minneapolis, Minn.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Letter writers sound off on social studies, recreational marijuana