LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: More to be uncovered; Use your signal, folks; Sex-trafficking calls

More to be uncovered

I would like to comment on the letter from Russ Bailey of Little Rock. He asked why the House is holding an impeachment inquiry since it already has all the evidence to impeach. With every passing hour and every official contacted, new evidence appears of abuse of government authority and criminal activity by the administration. It appears the investigation has only scratched the surface, and with further investigation they may uncover not only that the president asked for a foreign government to interfere in the 2020 election as the president has confessed to doing, but also the conspiracy to use extortion by illegally withholding aid approved by Congress.

The abuse of power and the cover-up looks like it may include the DOJ, the State Department, and even the vice president. If there was extortion, it should be game over for the administration because the framers were very clear in including bribery as an impeachable offense.

What is Mr Bailey's rush? There are plenty of government employees with the integrity to come out and uncover the truth, and the administration can only hide the truth for so long. And I would like to say to our congressmen: What good is it having all the wealth and power of your office if you sell out your integrity, honor, and even your soul to support a president who has blatantly abused his office?

PAUL WAGENER

Jacksonville

Use your signal, folks

In a recent letter to the editor, Cameron B. Crump presented convincing evidence as to why using turn signals properly can help result in avoidance of automobile accidents and personal injury. I would like to add two additional reasons for using turn signals.

The first is that it is the law. Arkansas Code 27-51-403 clearly explains the application of the law. The Arkansas State Police posted on its Facebook page that "You must use your signals when anyone else will be [affected] by your movement on the roadway, and turned on 100 feet before turning or changing lanes." You can be ticketed for noncompliance.

The second is that not using turn signals is lazy and just plain rude.

PAUL GRISSOM

Bella Vista

Sex-trafficking calls

Perpetrators are always at fault in cases of abuse. However, an average of 99-plus calls per year at the same location? For 10 years? I believe the Little Rock Police Department shares the blame in this horrific situation. The mayor, the chief of police, the head of the Sex Crimes Unit, the supervisors of officers, and every police officer that responded to that house of horrors should be called to account for their actions or lack thereof.

Until we get some answers from the authorities, this reeks of neglect, incompetence, or corruption, perhaps all three. Victims must be able to rely on law enforcement to protect them when no one else can or will. Can the police be counted on going forward? What say you, LRPD?

BRADFORD RICE

Little Rock

Community schools

In the 2018-2019 school year, of the 188 schools across Arkansas labeled as "D" or "F" schools under our state's ESSA framework, 85 percent are high-poverty schools. Additional educational and social services are needed to ensure that the more than 74,000 students enrolled in these persistently low-performing schools and their families can thrive.

Commonly proposed "fixes" used to bolster underperforming schools, such as new reading initiatives, curriculum updates and additional professional development, are unlikely to succeed if students are not ready to learn due of a host of challenges related to poverty. In persistently low-performing high-poverty schools, both educational improvements and social supports for students and families are needed. Either alone will be inadequate.

A growing body of educational research supports the community-school model as a success strategy for these schools, students and families. This approach focuses on identifying the needs in a specific school and connecting students and families to community-based resources and supports that can help remove barriers to learning. Examples include installing a washer and dryer on premises for student use, partnering with health-care and dental providers to provide mobile clinics, creating an on-campus food pantry, hosting GED classes for parents and more.

In written testimony submitted Friday to the House Interim Committee on Education and the Senate Interim Committee on Education, I have proposed broad implementation of the community-school model in our low-achieving schools as the best way to efficiently and effectively address student needs without overburdening existing school staff from the important work of supporting learning and achievement in the classroom.

SUSAN HARRIMAN

Little Rock

Susan Harriman is executive director of ForwARd Arkansas.

Won't celebrate him

"Some people won't honor him at all today, or even recognize him." You bet! "Instead, they'll recognize Indigenous Peoples Day." Yep.

Teach the children all about Columbus instead of closing the banks and celebrating him. Teach the value of exploration and courageously pursuing a vision, sure. But be certain also to use these historical events to teach the virtue of respect, the evil of enslaving, the problems of greedy pursuit of gold and land, and the development of consequences unanticipated in 1492, like devastating infections. Teach that we should at least consider possible impacts of our actions on future generations.

Finally, please respect my choices when I honor my indigenous ancestors and decline to celebrate the colonizer.

RICHARD LIVINGSTON

Little Rock

Editorial on 10/15/2019

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