Concord Monitor reporter Eileen O’Grady gets the intent of HB 544 correct, but the article does not state the bill’s actual language (“NH bill would bar teaching ‘divisive topics,’ ” Feb. 20). The article says HB 544 would “prevent educators from teaching about systemic racism and sexism in public schools and state-funded programs.” The bill, however, says the state “shall not teach, instruct, or train any … student, or any other individual or group, to adopt or believe” these and other so-called “divisive concepts.”
So, according to the bill, it’s OK to teach about these issues, but not OK to tell students to believe them.
Good teachers do not teach or tell students what to believe. They teach students how to question, explore and investigate “divisive concepts” without telling them what to believe. After analysis and discussion, students come to their own conclusions. Isn’t that what we want — students who can evaluate ideas and information and think for themselves?
The article nevertheless has a clear grasp of what I see as the purpose of HB 544, which is to censor any investigation and discussion of these topics. The bill intends to intimidate teachers, to make them fear that if they even raise these issues, they will be punished.
Perhaps HB 544 would be improved if it included other “divisive concepts,” such as: “the U.S. is the most free and greatest nation on Earth,” and, “the U.S. affords liberty and justice for all.”
If HB 544 passes, I would hope to see a complementary bill that bans state representatives from posting “divisive concepts” on their Facebook pages, which students can easily access. Two recent examples: Rep. Dawn Johnson’s anti-Semitic post and Rep. James Spillane’s racist post.
JACK HURLEY
Claremont
As a former Dartmouth College chemistry major, I write this letter with great fervor urging Dartmouth not to close the Kresge Physical Sciences Library. Although Dartmouth plans to keep the area as a study space, Kresge provides resources beyond just a location to work that play a vital role in supporting and uniting future scientists training at Dartmouth.
The Kresge librarians are a vital resource and cannot be replaced by the resources at the remaining campus libraries. As a student from a small town, I was terrified I wouldn’t learn to write academic arguments as well as my better-prepared classmates. Throughout my time at Dartmouth, I worked with each of the Kresge librarians, specialists in academic research in the sciences, to hone my argumentative skills and ability to find and scrutinize scientific resources.
During my time in Kresge, I observed that many undergraduate and graduate students in fields from astronomy to chemistry also depended on these resources. Dartmouth College prides itself on teaching students to be well-rounded critical thinkers no matter their background. Removing the Kresge Library will deplete the campus of a main resource to accomplish this.
In addition to its critical role in training scientists to find and scrutinize sources, Kresge holds many undergraduate and graduate textbooks on reserve for students unable to afford them for a single term’s use. Even if these books are relocated to other libraries on campus, it will destroy the culture of collaborative learning fostered by Kresge. Regularly, students finish class in one of the science departments adjacent to Kresge, then check out the class textbook to begin working on problem sets in Kresge.
Because of Kresge’s proximity to science departments on campus, a struggling student can find many peers working on the same homework, and sometimes even the professor walking through the library offering help.
Keeping Kresge as a study space but removing its librarians and functions depletes Dartmouth College of its strongest asset in training its future scientists in collaborative learning and critical thought, sending a clear message that this is no longer the college’s priority.
HANNAH KURKA MARGOLIS
Bethesda, Md.
Photographic approach to unwanted mural
The story about Sam Kerson’s mural at the Vermont Law School and the desire of some people to have it covered reminds me of an situation here at The Woodlands in Lebanon (“Mural artist in court over cover-up plan,” Feb. 25).
A former resident had a lovely mural covering two whole walls of her apartment. When she moved out, the new resident, while appreciating the artistic value of the mural, didn’t want it on his walls.
It was finally decided that a professional photographer would take pictures of significant parts of the mural and they would be displayed on the wall in the hall outside that apartment, with a plaque explaining where they had been originally.
CYNTHIA THOMPSON
Lebanon
How do you like the idea of anybody — kids, teens or adults — being free to bring firearms and knives into school? Most people would regard this as crazy, but apparently not in New Hampshire, where I served as a teacher for many years.
A bill (HB 307) in the New Hampshire House of Representatives would block all regulation of firearms and knives in municipal, school district, public college and university buildings, and other municipal property.
The bill would also add new punitive measures to intimidate and punish local communities, school districts and colleges that want to establish or enforce common-sense firearm and knife regulations. School districts and colleges that tried to prevent parents, teachers, staff or visitors from openly carrying or bringing hidden, loaded guns into schools would be subject to the same punitive measures as other localities.
New Hampshire already has a preemption law, which broadly prohibits local municipalities and school districts from enacting common-sense firearms regulations. This bill takes that a step further and intimidates local officials from doing anything regarding guns in our high-traffic public spaces or learning environments.
If you believe that New Hampshire’s public educational spaces should be reserved for learning in a safe environment, please register your opposition to HB 307 by contacting your state legislator today. And join GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress (granitestateprogress.org), to stop this and other dangerous bills from moving forward.
KATHLEEN SHEPHERD
Norwich
After more than six weeks in office it’s become clear that President Joe Biden is consistent — consistently wrong, that is.
Whether it’s confusion on our southern border, not reopening public schools, killing a pipeline that would safely transport crude oil to our refineries, promoting a job-killing minimum wage, allowing biological males to compete in women’s athletics, appeasing Iran, snubbing Israel, and on and on — I never thought I’d support Kamala Harris, but how much worse can things get?
JEFF LEHMANN
Lyme Center
Judging from the hassle that has been going on in Congress regarding this year’s federal budget, I am reminded of a rather witty comment often attributed to Illinois Sen. Everett Dirksen: “A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you’re talking real money.”
If he only knew.
BOB CATTABRIGA
West Lebanon
Apparently, some men still have not heard or understood the message of the #MeToo movement. Somehow, they consider themselves too special to be bound by decent respect for women.
So guys, here’s a new hashtag to remind you. When women everywhere affirm their rejection of uninvited male advances, they mean #YouToo. Thank you for making note of this.
GRETCHEN GRANER
South Strafford
After Joe Biden was inaugurated 46th president of the United States on Jan. 20, we took down the “Dump Trump” signs from in front of our home.
But now I feel compelled to create a new sign, “Republicans are liars and traitors,” because of the invidious level of lying by national and state Republican leaders and millions of Trump voters about the legitimate election victory of President Biden and their denials of the Jan. 6 attempted insurrection of the U.S. Capitol by violent Trump supporters, who were goaded into it by Trump’s lies and attempts since Nov. 6 to overthrow the election.
We erected the sign on the day these Republicans honored the criminal insurrectionist Donald Trump at their Conservative Political Action Conference, at which they scheduled a full day of speeches directed at continuing to spread the lie that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from Trump through nonexistent “election fraud” in several swing states.
The Republicans are aided and abetted in their lies by right-wing media outlets such as Fox television and its broadcasters Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and the now-canceled Lou Dobbs, who along with their guests spread the lies and deny the fact that Joe Biden won the election.
Lies are denials of facts and are not expressions of “conservative opinion” as some claim, seeming unable to distinguish between the two.
ALICE MORRISON
Newbury, Vt.
March is Lymphedema Awareness Month. You may have never heard of lymphedema, but chances are you know someone who has it or is at risk for it.
Millions of Americans suffer from this condition, which is characterized by chronic swelling and which most often caused by cancer treatments that remove lymph nodes.
Lymphedema can also be caused by other surgeries, traumas or illnesses, as well as congenital defects that may result in symptoms present at birth or not until later in life.
Many doctors are not familiar with this under-recognized medical condition. Without treatment, lymphedema is progressive, affecting quality of life and increasing the risk of serious complications.
Talk to a health care professional and visit LymphedemaTreatmentAct.org for more information.
SHARI RUTZ
Strafford