Print |
E-mail to a friend
OPINIONS
Voice of the people
Gifted students merit honors classes
Can it be true? Is Cabell Midland High School planning to drop its honors classes? Is there any logical or sane reason for such an action? Are there not enough bright students to fill them? Teachers to teach them?
Are CMHS students not equal to the honors classes available at Huntington High and surrounding schools? Does the athletic department want new uniforms? Is the principal more concerned about padding his resume than in educating the young? Or is CMHS striving to uphold the "ignorant hillbilly" stereotype?
I am reminded of the teacher who bragged, "I had a gifted student at the beginning of the year, but she was right there with the rest of them by the end of the year."
Appalachia's greatest resource is its young people. Each of them deserves the very best education available. That includes vocational training, special education, the arts and honors classes.
How can a community grow and flourish if its best and brightest are not challenged with the best possible educational instruction? We provide our star athletes with the best training so they can win scholarships and compete at the next level. Why would we not do the same for our star students?
Traditionally, West Virginia ranks near the bottom in state education rankings. Repeatedly, school boards belatedly adopt policies that have proved inadequate in the rest of the country, e.g., overconsolidation and mainstreaming. Consolidation sponsors promised a more challenging variety of classes, but curricula have been reduced, not expanded.
It is time to give true meaning to that empty catch phrase "no child left behind." Our children deserve better. Rise up, parents, teachers, community! Demand the best education!
Jane Morse
Chesapeake, Ohio
HPD responsible for man's death
The incident that happened with the person being charged with first degree murder should be charged to the Huntington Police Department, not the individual. The department was the cause of the shooting by not responding.
This has happened to me personally. I had an incident with a neighbor who slashed my tires then proceeded to block the vehicle. I called the police. They told me someone would respond shortly. One hour later, two police passed by. I called 911 again. They said they had no one in the area even though two cars passed -- no lights, no nothing.
Two and a half hours later, I called again. Tempers were flaring; still no police. Four hours later an officer finally showed up. I was well past my tolerance with the individual. I let the person know how I felt, and I was told by the officer I needed to shut up or I would go to jail. This would have never been escalated if they showed up in reasonable time.
This is HPD's fault, no one else's. Would they want two murders instead of one? The assistant prosecuting attorney will have a hard time proving first degree. It's laughable when they say she had time to think about it between shots, just like they do. They shoot first and don't ask questions. If I were to be on that jury, it would be not guilty, and find the city responsible for what happened. Please don't plea bargain with the prosecutor. No one will convict you.
Steven Swann
Huntington
Candidates aren't fulfilling Senate duties
Does it bother anyone else that the three frontrunners in the race for president -- Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain -- are all supposed to be serving in the U.S. Senate? Somewhere in the recent past, they all asked the people in their states to hire them as their representatives in Washington, but they are now spending all their time running around the country trying to get another job. I am guessing they are all drawing their full salaries from the federal government. What does this say about their credibility and dependability?
Apparently, the Senate has no requirements that the members be on the job once they are elected. Are there any other employers anywhere who would allow an employee to be absent from work month after month while he or she tried to get another job? Isn't it amazing what little we citizens demand of our elected politicians?
Richard Hensley
Barboursville
Police don't respond to reported crimes
Why bother with reporting crimes when the city and/or county do absolutely nothing about it? I have reported active drug sales and prostitution for some time in my neighborhood. Still, I've yet to see any type of police investigation. I sit in my house in what used to be a nice, quiet place and watch five or six cars at a time do their deals. The busiest house should put in a drive-through window.
The cars park on both sides of the street, in front of my house, in the alley, and they throw their trash out and doors slam. They are noisy all hours of the night.
I fear for our safety because of these unsavory characters coming and going. The house belongs to a prominent Huntington politician who has been informed several times about his dealer-tenants and has done nothing.
No wonder Huntington is a drug mecca. There is no one in power to stop them. No wonder there are vigilantes; the people can only take so much.
Annodja Kins
Huntington
Small fire at Milton school was handled well
On Feb. 11, a small fire occurred in one of the restrooms at Milton Elementary School. The school's staff responded quickly in getting the children to a safe and warm place. Once the parents were notified, the pickup process was quick and orderly. Job well done.
I would also like to thank the Milton Baptist Church for opening their doors to the children.
Travis Clagg
Ona
