A Georgia teacher is being fired for being woke. There’s nothing divisive about love | Opinion

Nothing divisive about acceptance and love

Re: Ga. teacher’s plight exposes the essence of anti-woke fury (TNT, 07/07/23)

Thank you for the opinion article on the plight of the teacher in Georgia. It is not surprising that teachers are leaving the profession or that young people are no longer attracted to teaching. I was in teaching for over 40 years, and thankfully I remember parents as appreciative, helpful partners. Now it seems many are suspicious adversaries, eager to pounce on anything they don’t approve of.

I have read “My Shadow Is Purple” and have found it to be an affirming acceptance of the fact that each one of us is a wonderful, different combination of qualities. The message is to encourage appreciation of each other and our differences. Since when did those become “divisive” concepts?

I understand the teacher followed the reading of the book with a creative writing lesson. And now because one parent complained the teacher faces termination. I am deeply saddened about what this atmosphere of hatred and bigotry is doing to our country and to our precious children.

Mary Damonte, Tacoma

Angels among us

Angels don’t have to have wings. Look closely — they are all around us.

A few years back I became a kidney patient and the kindness of my family and strangers made me like a humble and better person. Here are angels.

My family, which is spread all over the globe, visits me, calls me and texts me every day. My neighbor, who cooks for me, gives me my medication, mows my grass and does a lot of other things. My physical therapist, Sweet Sue, tells me to spread sunshine to other patients by smiling and conversing with them, which pays off by seeing them smile back.

The nurses at Davita Center in Puyallup are amazing. As soon as you walk in, their smile and their attention to each patient changes the whole environment. You know you are going to have a great day. They will sing, dance and listen to you. I have such respect for them, I told the boss at the dialysis center, ‘Don’t let these angels get away.’ I am blessed to know all of them.

Kiran Grewal. Puyallup

Reducing prescription costs

Congress should focus on passing the right policies. My mom and dad had to tightly manage their medical expenses, including high out-of-pocket costs. Pharmacy benefit managers make profits that should go to people. They negotiate with drug manufacturers to secure rebates and discounts on prescription drugs. Then, instead of sharing those with patients to help them reduce out-of-pocket costs, the savings inflate profit margins.

They also operate using price-setting policies that could threaten access to the medicine and innovation that many families need to have hope for.

Congress should be working to support this kind of medical innovation, not undermine it. The HELP Copays Act seems like a good solution to me. Pharmacy benefit managers make more money the more money a drug costs, so this bill makes it all a flat fee.

Fortunately, both the House and Senate are considering this legislation that helps. Perfect for our Senators Rep. Marilyn Strickland and Derek Kilmer. This bipartisan bill is what we need to protect patients from high out-of-pocket costs.

Washington’s congressional delegation should help pass this bill as soon as possible.

Dan Telford, Tacoma

Fire levy

South Pierce Fire and Rescue firefighters work 24-hour shifts in stations that are in dire need of updating. From living quarters to decontamination areas and apparatus aprons, current funding has not allowed us to complete these upgrades to our stations. To see this for yourself please attend one of our upcoming open houses.

Please vote “yes” on the upcoming levy lift next month.

Pete Ellis, Roy

This story was originally published July 8, 2023 at 6:40 AM.