Austin American-Statesman Letters to the Editor, Nov. 17, 2024

The Bluebonnet Learning reading curriculum being voted on by the State Board of Education next week isn’t about teaching children to read fluently early in life but is an effort by certain brands of Christianity to evangelize those children, to convert non-Christians and to indelibly embed patterns of thinking in all children.
Using allegorical Christian Bible stories in public elementary schools is unethical and unfair to practitioners of other religions and the non-religious, and illegal according to the implied concept in the First Amendment that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” In addition to these moral objections, the curriculum lacks educational validity with factual errors, lack of relationship to learning objectives, teacher autonomy and consideration of the needs of individual students. Please contact SBOE members and your state legislators to request that this curriculum in its current state not be approved for use in public schools.
Mary Ellen Scribner, American Association of University Women, Austin
Re: Nov. 11 article, Many Austin students voted for the first time. Here’s why some felt hopeful, disappointed
I am a subscriber since the mid-60s and love your newspaper. I especially enjoyed your story about first time voters. But, I am very concerned about another very important subject also covered. My concern and question is: How are we going to explain to our children when they ask, why is it that President-elect Trump may not have to pay when he was found guilty of breaking so many laws? Why is he above the law?
Fannie Cavazos Hewgley, Leander
With the Senate and the White House still under Democrat control, we have a critical opportunity to safeguard our democracy. One pressing threat is President-elect Trump’s attempts to misuse state power against perceived adversaries he calls “enemies within.” To counteract this, Pentagon leaders should immediately issue a directive reaffirming that the military’s allegiance is to the Constitution, not to any individual.
Additionally, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer must maximize the remaining legislative days of the year to confirm federal judges and key regulators. These appointments are crucial, as they cannot be reversed by a future administration, thereby ensuring stability and integrity in our governmental institutions.
Now is the time to act decisively to protect the democratic principles we hold dear.
Lenore “Lory” Donatt, West Lake Hills
Re: Nov. 10 editorial Opinion: Never apologize for supporting students who have real fears after an election and Nov. 13 Opinion: Trump’s win terrifies my Latino students. I’m struggling to reassure them.
Thanks to teachers like Jason Epps and Larry Strauss, so often teachers are not appreciated for the personal interest they take in their students’ concerns. Thanks to all teachers who take the time to listen and help their students with real-life issues. We can only hope that many of the promises of the president-elect are not realized.
Joan Kling, Austin
Regarding all the shock and hysteria over the nomination of Matt Gaetz as Attorney General − especially from the liberal media − I want to throw out a name: Pete Buttegeig. Oh, and by the way, has anyone told Buttegeig there was a hurricane that wiped out major portions of two interstate highways in North Carolina and Tennessee, not to mention other major highways there and in the other states that were hit hard by hurricanes Helene and Milton?
Has anyone heard a word from him about it? 
Susan Etheredge, Luling