IndyStar.com: Letters to the editor
Indiana's leading news source for all the top stories, local news, sports and weather.
Job training would be less costly solution Job training would be less costly solution
Jon Murray’s informative article discussed the prison population both in Indiana and around our country (“Jump in inmates is biggest in U.S.,” March 17). It needs to be reformed because it is growing by an estimated 5 percent...
Teachers get the blame, but it belongs elsewhere
In response to John Barnes’ question (Letters, March 12), Gov. Mitch Daniels and his team blame teachers for the financial crisis in an effort to divert attention from the real culprit: the man in the mirror. The K-12 shortfall is a direct...
Reading: the top priority
This month, legislators made an important move to improve student achievement. They passed House Bill 1367, instructing the State Board of Education and the Indiana Department of Education to develop a K-3 plan for reading instruction and implement...
Stop deadly disease with more research funding
Alzheimer’s is a fatal, irreversible disease. Every 70 seconds someone in this country is diagnosed with it. While the death rates for cancer, stroke, heart disease and HIV have gone down since 2000, the death rate from Alzheimer’s has...
Much worse than hazing: Don't push incident under rug
The lengthy March 14 article referencing the Carmel High School basketball team was an attempt by The Star and the school’s administration to put a happy face on the incident by calling it hazing. (“When harmless fun turns into...
Save some dough, abolish redundant civil rights group
The front-page article about the Indiana Civil Rights Commission suing a group over a menu struck me as odd (“Tiff over students’ menu ends up in court,” March 15). Why is there a special commission for Indiana? Isn’t there...
Make sure they can read, hold schools accountable
It is obvious that John Ellis, executive director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, opposes policies that hold schools accountable for ensuring students learn to read (My View, March 9). In Florida, schools are held...
Help for women to get their degrees
Dan McFeely presented a very bleak picture of Indiana’s higher education completion rates in The Star March 11. I belong to an organization whose mission is helping women complete their education after they have been out of school for at least...
Schools' job is to educate, not be police and parents
In recent months there has been a great deal of local and national to-do about certain teenager activities, specifically hazing and sexting. The big question seems to be, “What are the schools doing about it?” The schools? What about the...
Armed person less likely to be crime victim
This is in response to the March 18 letter to the editor by Randall Kinsley, who states that 60 percent of disgruntled employees have threatened to assault or kill their manager in the last year. After having managed employees for many years, I...
Go ahead and pack heat, but make sure you pass test
The Second Amendment guarantees people the right to bear arms. Firearms should be allowed to be carried freely wherever you go. The Star has stated that there is no guarantee that law-abiding citizens would not misuse their guns, misplace them or...
Governor, face consequences of education cuts
I am sorry Gov. Mitch Daniels was offended by the suggestion that his $300 million budget cut to Indiana education shared in the blame for the closure of four Floyd County Schools. It must be difficult to witness the consequences of his leadership. I...
If you're pro-life, you should like health-care legislation
I write as a minister and Bible teacher to urge Indiana’s pro-life members of Congress to vote for health insurance reform. A recent study estimates that 45,000 Americans die each year because they don’t have health insurance. That figure...
Indiana among states where Toyota produces, employs Indiana among states where Toyota produces, employs
In response to Robert E. Marsh’s letter (“Toyota problems expose necessity to buy American,” March 15), I would like to point out that, in fact, Toyota produces cars in the United States, including in Indiana. Toyota and its dealers...
Let's look at these issues with different perspective
Let’s look at these issues with different perspective Three March 17 articles got my attention. Dan Carpenter (“Need dose of rhyme, reason”) stated that in 1965 America’s elderly population feared poverty, debility and...
GOP record on debt nothing to brag about
GOP record on debt nothing to brag aboutyou: In the 12 years Democrats were in the White House since 1977, the national debt increased $1.9 trillion. In the 20 years Republicans were in the White House the debt increased $7.5 trillion. The national...
Tough decisions on spending require brave citizens
A letter by English teacher Jocelyn Sisson (March 13) demonstrates a lot of bravery. Criticizing her own union regarding seniority over performance will likely bring the sting of both colleagues and union, yet she is a heroine to students and...
Schools can't transfer from empty accounts
The legislature thinks it has given a real break to school corporations by allowing them to transfer dollars from the capital projects and transportation funds, but reality says this is not true. Most school corporations have been paying property...
Moving further away from idea of religious freedom
Texans have been the butt of jokes for their tall tales. Now, The Star of March 13 reports that “Texas conservatives may affect textbooks nationwide.” As part of that effect, “Teachers in Texas will be required to cover the...
School finances tricky; referendum is necessary tool School finances tricky; referendum is necessary tool
I would like to correct some misconceptions stated in the March 13 letter from Jo Ellen Dotlich, “Don’t be fooled, vote no on Speedway referendum.” This misinformation will hurt children wherever school districts are trying to stave...
Prescription drugs aren't necessarily legal
An article about the death of actor Corey Haim put the root of the prescription drug epidemic in a nutshell. After describing the investigation into how he had obtained drugs via a drug ring that sold prescription pads to addicts, it said “no...
Foreign-owned doesn't mean not made in America
If you want to buy an American car, purchase one assembled in this country. Mercedes-Benz, Acura, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Infinity, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota all produce cars and components made in this country. They employ more than 1 million...
Here's what was behind Biden's 'snub' in Israel
Jim Blackwell (Letters, March 15), who criticized Vice President Joe Biden for making Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wait for 90 minutes, left out the reason for the snub, which was the announcement of yet more Israeli settlements in...
Don't blame Daniels for DST; most people like it
Benjamin Del Vecchio (Letters, March 16) blames Gov. Mitch Daniels for having “forced through” daylight-saving time “when every survey shows a majority of Hoosiers are against it.” Del Vecchio needs to get his facts straight....
Early schooling is best way to avoid 4th-grade problems
With the good of our children in mind, The Star supports a state law that would make retention mandatory for third-graders who don’t have basic reading skills. I disagree with this approach. The road to fourth-grade success starts much earlier,...
Dangerous gun law doesn't deserve support
I have been following with dismay the efforts to allow guns to be brought to the workplace. Nearly 77 percent of workplace homicides are committed with firearms and murder is the leading cause of injury-related deaths for women there. More than 60...
Buying alcohol? You must have ID ready
As of July 1, Indiana law will require licensed servers selling alcohol to card anyone purchasing alcohol for off-premise consumption, no excuses. The law, which was recently signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels, will require customers to provide a valid ID...
Kudos to investigators for keeping things under wraps
Regarding The Star’s March 14 editorial (“Secrecy erodes trust, fuels rumor mill”) pertaining to the investigation of Lincoln Plowman, former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer and City-County Council member, I...
City fortunate Citizens ready to serve us
Ratepayers of Marion County can only benefit when Citizens Energy Group starts operating the city’s water and wastewater treatment plants. Citizens’ exemplary track record as a valued community partner, its 123-year history of efficient...
Criminal cycle repeats without rehabilitation
Is it just me, or does the government perpetuate a cycle that forces criminals to fail? While in jail, there is little rehabilitation going on, except perhaps for a spiritual reawakening for some. Once out of jail, these felons can’t get a job...
