Letters: Remake education | College elitism | Follow Oregon | ‘Barbie’ at Oscars | Biden’s speech | Everyday acts
Mercury News Letters to the Editor for March 20, 2024
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Remake education
for student equity
I write to highlight a critical issue within our public school system: its failure to equitably prepare all students for their future roles in society.
Rooted in outdated principles, our education system perpetuates cycles of poverty and racial injustice, affecting students’ academic achievements and life chances. Despite past legal victories for equality, systemic barriers persist, manifesting in underfunded schools and biased opportunities based on race and socioeconomic status.
I propose targeted reforms, including the reallocation of resources toward the right mentorship, vocational programs and inclusive activities to address these disparities.
By prioritizing empathy and equitable support, we can dismantle these barriers, offering every child a fair chance at success. This is not just a demand for funding, but a call for a fundamental shift in how we value and invest in our youth’s education and future.
Mark Larreynaga
San Jose
College elitism is
demeaning to students
Re: “Make college dreams affordable” (Page A6, March 12).
In Johan Desiderio’s letter to the editor was the comment that “without scholarships, many students pull the shorter end of the stick, attending a more affordable college instead of a higher-end university.” My husband and I started saving for our kids’ college while we were still paying off our own student debt. When they graduated from high school, we gave them the amount we could contribute to their education.
By choosing “affordable colleges” they graduated without the burden of huge student loans and they both have outstanding careers. To imply that their choice of college was “pulling the shorter end of the stick” is demeaning.
Carole Paquette
San Jose
California should follow
Oregon on time change
Re: “Oregon’s daylight saving time bill reliant on California” (Page B2, March 12).
Yes, the Oregon state Senate has it right. Stop changing the clocks and keep the time at standard time.
Stop the psychological trauma of adjusting to time changes twice a year. When we get the hour back on Nov. 3, keep it that way. If people want to “save daylight,” then get out of bed earlier and enjoy the sunshine.
Most of the people I talk to would rather have permanent standard time than permanent daylight saving time.
Curtis Gleason
Palo Alto
‘Barbie’ never had
a chance at Oscars
“Barbie” made it to the Academy Awards, but only for a performance and not for the statuette.
I must say that this movie was an advertising masterpiece. It was able to reach many demographics and generations while bringing a dear doll back to life. The movie also made people around the world feel a sense of acceptance by talking about mental health and self-esteem, all at the same time.
Then, why didn’t it bring the statuette home? Because the Academy Awards has to keep up with its status of being an award ceremony that, first, is hard to win. Second, the picture has to be considered an “artistic masterpiece” that exemplifies cultural excellence. With that, a fun advertising masterpiece, unfortunately, didn’t have a chance for best picture.
Giulia Cruz
San Jose
Letter ignores energy
of Biden’s speech
Re: “Nation can do better than Biden, Trump” (Page A6, March 13).
Reading Anthony Stegman’s letter where he claimed that Biden appeared “senile and fragile” during his State of the Union address made me wonder: Did he watch the same speech that the rest of the country did?
These days, it is rare to find consensus in the media about anything, but the one thing common in most headlines covering Biden’s speech was the word “feisty” (or its equivalent).
Sunil Mehta
Saratoga
We can act for climate
in everyday ways
Re: “Some young people planning fewer or no kids because of climate change” (March 12).
As a junior in high school, questions about my future, college and career constantly arise. Amid this pressure and uncertainty come moments of peace when I imagine my future life: a family of my own, a stable job, a dog.
However, after reading Nara Schoenberg’s well-articulated article on climate and children, it made me reconsider everything. We are unsure of the climate. We are unsure of its impact on our future. Most importantly, we will continue to be unsure until we take adequate steps to fight against climate change.
What we can be sure of, though, is the change that we can make and the initiatives we can take, such as lobbying Congress for strong climate legislation, spreading awareness, and being environmentally conscious in our daily lives.
Alyssa Lin
Palo Alto