Letters to the editor

Reaching for parity

Students' dreams exclude obstacles to equal opportunity

Editor, The Times:

More than 40 years ago, a wise man expressed his dream that one day his children would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Unfortunately, it seems today many of us have forgotten that dream and its message of equality.

Editorial columnist Lynne K. Varner's "Race counts" [Times editorial column, Dec. 3] is a clear example. Varner defends the racial tiebreaker policy [of Seattle Schools] but never reveals what it truly is: the use of race as a factor in governmental decision-making.

To me, the matter is simple: The government cannot be allowed to make distinctions between citizens based on their race; government showing preference to, or making any decision about, a student based on his race is a policy of discrimination that the courts should not uphold, regardless of the student's color or background, and despite admittedly good intentions [see "Aggressive questions from court in Seattle race case," page one, Dec. 5].

I am a supporter of diversity in schools, but accomplishing that diversity should not require a violation of equal treatment. Let's focus instead on improving the quality of the schools themselves, so that every student receives equal educational opportunities.

Varner claims that the tiebreaker will "level bumpy inequalities into a smooth road." Yet it is inequality that the tiebreaker promotes.

True equality will be achieved when one's race is neither a help nor a hindrance in his life. A policy of color-based discrimination is the opposite of Dr. King's dream — and a backwards step on the path toward equality and justice for all.

— Andrew Kaplan (sophomore, Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences), Seattle

Melting proposition

Lynne Varner argues that Seattle's use of race in student assignment is fine because it is designed to achieve a "melting pot."

But that is not why the Seattle Schools uses race. In fact, Seattle Schools publicly denounced "concepts such as a melting pot" on its Web site, calling them a failure. It has treated students as members of competing racial groups rather than as individuals, claiming "individualism" is a form of "cultural racism."

It has also engaged in offensive racial stereotyping, claiming that planning ahead ("future time orientation") is a white characteristic that it is racist to expect minorities to exhibit.

Moreover, Seattle schools are diverse even without using race, and no court has ever held them to be segregated.

So their use of race is unjustified, and should be struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.

— Hans Bader, Arlington, Va.

View the whole spectrum

Seattleites complain about declining academic performance in our schools. Yet when we set the criteria for a tiebreaker for the waiting lists of popular schools, nowhere is there any mention of academic performance — combined with high attendance — as a factor in getting to the head of the line.

Why not? What message does this send to kids about what really matters to education policy-makers, parents and the community?

Peer pressure — during teen years, especially — is a major motivator. If we can do anything to make academic performance cool, desirable and advantageous — like getting kids into the school they want — let's try it!

— Elsie Simon, Seattle

Trading places

Welcome to our mission

For the first time, The Times has declared support for incorporating internationally accepted labor standards into the core of future trade agreements, saying such basic worker protections should be considered "standard rules of a modern economy, and acceptable to legitimate business" ["Democrats and trade," editorial, Dec. 2].

That, my new friends, is the heart of organized labor's criticism of so-called "free trade" — that the deliberate exclusion of such standards promotes the exploitation of workers overseas, and accelerates job loss in America. For taking that position, we have been dismissed as anti-trade protectionists trying to preserve our horse-and-buggy industries. So, welcome to the fringe!

Unions have always had confidence in the ability of American workers, businesses and products to compete internationally. And we have always supported trade.

But when the most powerful trading partner on Earth chooses to exercise its economic influence only for corporate and property rights — and not fundamental human rights — our nation is debased. And the working class, here and abroad, pays the price.

The remaining question: Is The Times merely accepting the inclusion of basic human rights, or is it willing to join us in demanding them?

— David Groves, Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Seattle

Turistas

We are not the bloody bad guy

Whenever I read an article similar to "Teaching Americans to use a few manners" [Travel & Outdoors, Dec. 1], addressing how rude and boorish American travelers are supposed to be, I am aghast. I am aghast not at the boorishness of American travelers, but at the blind eye turned toward many other travelers.

While I am by no means a jet-setter, I travel quite a bit, and every time I travel, I see tourists from other countries who are absolutely horrid travelers, especially the British.

My last three international trips I have observed British tourists tromping noisily through museums, leaving trash in their wake, insulting locals, and in general acting like what we would call white trash.

In addition, I have several times, while in restaurants and cafeterias, heard grateful restaurant workers speak appreciatively of American tourists because we are the only people in the world, apparently, who regularly bus our own tables and exhibit concern and respect for service workers.

The myth of the boorish American traveler is just that, a myth. Companies and services such as the one described [in this article] serve only to propagate that myth.

— Erik David Weiss, Seattle

Recouping the news

Let's go back now to Aaron Brown

So former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite wishes he were still anchoring the news ["With verve, Cronkite turns 90," News, Nov. 4].

Mmmm ... let's see ... OK. Everybody back in your places! Meredith Vieira — back to "The View." Katie Couric — back to "Today." And Walter — back to "CBS Evening News."

See? Wasn't that simple?

— Lauren Adler Greenberg, Woodinville