NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — I strongly object to the use of Har-Ber High School facilities to promote Congressman Steve Womack’s Academy Days 2011 military recruitment program (April 16, 3 to 5 p.m., seminar room).
Even though the event is not scheduled on a school day and participation is voluntary, I believe it is highly inappropriate and morally questionable to use a publicly funded school to recruit kids into the military-industrial complex.
Since 85 percent of my state taxes go to funding public schools, I think I have a right to be heard in this matter.
I urge Springdale Public Schools board President Danny Dotson and Har-Ber High School Principal Daniel Brackett to either cancel this presentation or find another place to hold it that isn’t paid for with taxpayer dollars.
BRAD BAILEY / Fayetteville
NOT NEWS, BUT PROPAGANDA
If Fox News had to take benchmark exams for acceptable levels of performance, they would not meet the standards for news reporting.
They fail to distinguish between news reporting and editorial opinion. They slant and distort information, spiced with fears, in order to push the political agenda and propaganda of corporate and financial elites.
How bad is it? How about being banned from Canada. Canadian regulators determined that Fox News violates the Radio Act that requires that “a licenser may not broadcast … any false or misleading news.” Canada chooses honest, nonpartisan news coverage over toxic, overtly partisan, biased, dishonest news coverage. So much for “Fox News: fair and balanced.”
Unfortunately, voters fail to make the distinction as well and sadly use Fox News as if it werefactual. The older generation of the Walter Cronkite days, when anything reported was verified, should know better.
An educational system that has reverted to “teach to the test” at the expense of teaching critical thinking and the foundations of democracy is one explanation for the failure of younger generations.
Even worse is that these failures lead to election results that have supported candidates to implement the agendas of these elites. A preemptive war in Iraq has resulted in the loss of many lives, huge deficits, rising gas prices. Less government oversight has resulted in loss of pensions, food and consumer safety problems, an economic meltdown, environmental disasters, on and on.
Demand a return to the old U.S. standard of accurate news reporting.
JAMES GATELY / Rogers
Opinion, Pages 5 on 04/13/2011