Letters to the Editor

Sign R-90 to regain sex ed control

In March, our state Legislature voted to require comprehensive sex education in every public school.

It did this despite many thousands of residents communicating their concerns and opposition through phone calls, emails, letters and online petitions.

The Legislature passed this bill in a night session, taking the final vote at 2 a.m.

Concerned residents immediately set in motion a plan to overturn this decision using the legal process provided in our state Constitution, the referendum.

By placing Referendum 90 on the November ballot, voters can decide if we want this type of curriculum in our schools. Doesn’t that seem fair?

The new law mandates exactly what will be taught in our schools regarding sex and gender identity.

Many of us find the prescribed information to be too graphic, age-inappropriate, not scientifically proven, speculative, and agenda-driven.

I believe our local School Board and the teachers in our district are fully capable of choosing sex ed curriculum that is appropriate for our children.

Let the people who know our community and our children make these decisions with input from the parents.

To put Referendum 90 on the ballot, 130,000 signatures must be collected by the end of May. Please sign this petition to help regain local control of the education of our children.

You may sign the petition at our local hardware store or contact me by phone or text 509-660-0176, and I will make the petition available to you.

Make your voice heard.

Rena Brown

Ritzville

We must get back to normal, soon

Hospitals and clinics are now much better equipped and prepared with medication, antibody procedures and testing to help those infected with COVID-19.

The warmer weather will slow down new infections, like any other virus.

The government can only do so much. The severe restrictions — the four stages (guidelines) — need to be eased and speeded up. Otherwise, there will be a lot more suicides and fatalities from frustration, depression, anger, road rage and shootings, as television’s “Dr. Phil” and others point out.

Certainly, the sparsely populated areas (including most of Adams County) can move ahead.

For schools, why not let, at least the seniors, go to schools and colleges for a few days for final exams — like soon, a week or so.

Social distancing with masks could be applied; use more than one classroom if needed. Remote electronic tests will not work. Let them earn real letter grades.

Graduations could be drive-through or curbside.

Drastic measures were indeed needed at the onset, but not now.

A fully tested effective vaccine is still, what, at least a year away. Some people test positive, then negative, hmm...

How many deaths were due to other underlying causes? Some think those having the flu shot last fall had their immune system weakened. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are pessimistic and overreacting.

Have faith and hope, not fear and panic.

People, through their work, make this great country, not the government.

Errol Kramer

Odessa/Ritzville

Grant funds will improve rural learning

Lind-Ritzville School District received a $20,000 grant to support online learning amid school closures due to COVID-19.

When schools around the country began to close because of the rapid spread of the virus, many students did not have the resources to transition to online learning.

Rural areas are especially hard-hit, as are high poverty areas. The digital divide is not new, but the pandemic has revealed how deep and damaging is it.

College Spark recently awarded $241,000 to seven rural school districts in the state to help with remote learning.

The funding will be used for devices and internet hotspots for students who didn’t have access.

Seven school districts, including Brewster, Lake Chelan, Lind-Ritzville, Mabton, Manson, Oroville and South Bend School Districts, received funding to address challenges to remote learning.

Thai Craig

Seattle