Letters: Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions are stripping us of our rights | Opinion

Losing rights

As the political environment takes us backward, and we all lose long-established rights, maybe it’s time for members of the Supreme Court and a disappointing number of Legislators to be reminded of the Mark Twain quote: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” It is so frightening to authoritarians that education and equal opportunity are the great equalizers, not their guns.

Sheila Robbins, Boise

Killing trees

I’ve been traveling up and down Highway 55 to my property in the Meadows Valley for nearly 30 years. I used to enjoy this very scenic drive as much as I enjoyed being at my cabin.

But that scenery has changed significantly because Idaho Transportation Department applies way too much magnesium chloride, or whatever chemicals they’re using, to the roads and the resulting spray from cars has killed nearly all the trees along the highway corridor.

So now I get to look at dead trees on that 2.5-hour drive. It’s ugly, to say the least. And to this forester, who has fought to keep Idaho green for decades, it’s even worse.

Don’t let ITD fool you. It’s their fault and they should be responsible for cleaning up the mess they created.

Rick Tholen, Eagle

Reduce Central Aquatic Center fees

What a tremendous facility. The brand new Idaho Central Aquatic Center will fill a huge need for the Treasure Valley and provide significant economic benefit to our local economies. This public/private partnership is an exciting step forward for both competitive and recreational swimmers. But wait — have you examined the cost to become a member? An annual membership is a whopping $650 annually, with no youth or senior options. In contrast, residents of Twin Falls can enjoy an equivalent membership at their city pool for only $270 per year. One might expect a new, state-of-the-art facility like ours to land at the top of the price scale, but an Idaho Central Aquatic Center pass seems may be double what other Idahoans pay. Here in the Treasure Valley, an individual membership at the West Boise YMCA & City of Boise Aquatic Center provides access to not just a pool, but a full fitness center and extensive programming — with discounts available for seniors, youth, and low-income families. And it still costs less than an Idaho Central membership. A recent grand opening celebrated this great facility, now let’s examine its fee schedule to make it accessible, reasonable, and priced appropriately for all of us.

Dave Hays, Boise

Labrador off-base on University of Phoenix

The state attorney general, Raul Labrador, alleges the board of education violated open meeting laws with its vote to approve the University of Idaho’s purchase of the University of Phoenix, due to lack of public transparency. As I was at the May 18 public meeting, in person, I would like to share my perspective. Notably, I am not an elected official, nor am I affiliated with the State Board. Nobody gave me a private invite to the meeting. I simply read in the local media, prior, that there was a meeting, so I attended (as it was open to the public). At the meeting, a thorough presentation was made to all outlining, in detail, a financial, legal, and educational analysis of the proposal. Board members were free to ask questions, and comment, and at no time were folks, such as myself, told we could not provide feedback or ask questions. Elected officials, representing the public, were also in attendance. In fact, I noted a state legislator provided input to an official, just prior to the meeting start. Only after a full, long, presentation, along with a complete, multi-party, public discussion was the matter voted upon. The public meeting was transparent.

Aaron L. Williamson, Boise

History curriculum is propaganda

I just called the offices of our governor and the State Board of Education, expressing my horror at their plans to rewrite our history books for our schools, to make them more patriotic. I reminded them of the leader before them who tried to rewrite history. That would be Adolf Hitler. Is that really who we want to emulate? We need to teach all history, the good and the bad. We have much to be proud of, and our kids need to know that. We also have made many mistakes along to way. Our kids need to learn our mistakes, of the past, and some present, so that we don’t repeat them. Slavery, Jim Crow laws, Japanese concentration camps, etc, all need to be taught. Our kids need a field trip to the Minadoka museum outside of Jerome, Idaho, to learn the history of discrimination against our Japanese citizens, right here is Idaho. If you agree, please contact the governor’s office and the state board of education.

Michal Voloshen, Boise