OPINION

Letters to the editor

Letter writer wrong about

president, Russia and division

Once again, a recent writer has presented Sun readers with a list of half-truths, distortions, and outright lies.

First, he makes the questionable claim that we have not been this divided since the Civil War, saying President Obama added “fuel to a divided nation by his attacks using income, race and gender.” The writer omits the fact the Obamas were victims of racist attacks (mainly by cowards on social media and the Internet), with his wife called an “ape,” his citizenship questioned, and his being called a “closet Muslim” who was the head of a sleeper terrorist cell waiting to spring forth to take Americans’ guns and enforce Sharia law in our country. He claims the former president incited “rage against the police.” In fact, in September 2016 in the wake of the racially motivated mass shooting and the subsequent protests in South Carolina, Obama said, “The way we change the system requires us to be able to reach out and engage the broader American community. And that requires being peaceful. The overwhelming majority of people who have been concerned about police community relations [are] doing it the right way. Every once in awhile, you see folks doing it the wrong way."

The writer claims that those who disagree with liberals are called hateful names. I’d remind him of the names liberals are called every day by Trump supporters, such as the childish yet ubiquitous libtard, snowflake, and cuck. He further claims there were no protests after Obama’s two victories, ignoring the many times Obama was burned in effigy during his two terms as president.

Then he turns to Russia. He claims the investigation has been going on over a year with nothing proven. In fact, there is evidence of collusion, election interference, Trump officials misleading or lying to congressional panels, and now a grand jury put into place to continue the investigation. And, naturally, he can’t defend Trump without mentioning the Clintons. How refreshing would it be to hear a Trump supporter defend their candidate without mentioning Hillary?

The writer ends his letter with an ironic call for unity, saying we should all work together with the president to create jobs, secure our borders, create a working health care plan, and defeat ISIS. Job creation has been on a steady rise for many months, predating the Trump election. Trump’s plan to secure our borders with a wall is an outright joke. We can’t work together on a health care plan because Republicans have left Democrats out of the conversation. And as far as ISIS goes, Trump does not need anyone’s help. He knows more than the generals (his own words), and he has a 30-day plan to defeat ISIS that we’re still waiting on. Maybe all the time he’s spending in bunkers on golf courses is actually his preparing for going into active combat against radical terrorists, but somehow I doubt his injured foot would allow for this.

James Mayo

Pinson

Encourage our teachers

Jackson-Madison County Schools have begun the 2017-18 school year. To get ready for such an important event, the staff, teachers and leadership have been hard at work preparing for the arrival of students. Each employee is dedicated to making sure the children of this community receive a great education that will prepare them for the opportunities and careers that await. Additionally, many people and organizations in our community have been hard at work supporting our students and our schools. We have had walls painted, backpack supplies and instructional materials given, and snacks delivered to help support our teachers. All these things have been given to show love and support for the entire JMCSS family. These efforts have been greatly appreciated and have fulfilled needs our staff and teachers have.

There is an air of excitement with our new district leadership. Dr. Eric Jones and the School Board together believe our most important job is to create a culture that will cause and encourage children to learn and to be ready to realize their dreams — and for our teachers to be encouraged and believed in for their efforts each day.

I am so thankful for all the things that have been done by so many to support our school system and ask that this community continue to support our schools as we move forward through the school year. The success of our schools is tied directly to the growth and success of our community. I have been privileged to meet so many students, families and school staff.

I want to thank everyone who has played a part in getting ready for what I believe will be an outstanding and successful year. The message is, we love our school staff and we are united with them as a district in loving our students. Please let our employees know how much their efforts to positively shape the lives of our students is appreciated; I know it is by our leadership, by the school board — and by myself.

Bob Alvey

JMCSS Board Chairman