Stop renaming Tacoma schools like the former Wilson and Jason Lee. It’s woke nonsense | Opinion

Renaming schools

I was born in 1947 and raised in Tacoma’s Westside. My father attended the school formerly known as Jason Lee in the mid-1920s — when it was a junior high.

I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1965. Today that school is known as Delores Silas High School.

Thousands of us are sick of having our roots pulled up and destroyed through the renaming of beloved Tacoma schools by modern American socialism — which is literally communism.

Back in February 1966, I was an employee of the Tacoma News Tribune, as a copyboy.

I was also one of dozens of top bowlers in the West End and North Side.

On Feb. 9, 1966, at Sixth Avenue Lanes, owned by “Lefty Loyd,” I bowled a 300 game in an evening scratch league.

The next morning when I was doing my work at The News Tribune the sports editor saw me and said, “Hey! Let some flunky do that work! You get downstairs and get your picture taken.”

The article was printed the next day.

I share these events so you will know that I was rooted in Tacoma life and sports.

Twelve days after bowling the 300 game, I was off to Ford Ord in California for basic training.

I am a loyal American.

Dennis Cory, Tacoma

Dems vs. Dems

In a political climate where Washington Republicans find a MAGA extremist from Tri-Cities acceptable and Dave Reichert unfit for office, it’s no wonder that the 2024 election season in Washington will mostly be made up of Dems vs. Dems races.

Kudos to onetime Republican State Party Chairman Chris Vance, who was realistic enough in his recent News Tribune column to calmly explain why the far right “Trump Wing” cannot win in Washington.

Republicans don’t even have candidates to file to run against Sen. Maria Cantwell or any of our liberal congressional incumbents, other than Vancouver hothead MAGA Republican Joe Kent.

Even the traditional Republican donors are supporting the moderate Democrat Mark Mullet over the once-beloved Dave Reichert.

Chris Vance may have been run out of the Republican Party for being too honest, too realistic and too spot-on, but Washington conservatives need to understand what Vance is telling them: They can’t win with candidates stained by the Trump/MAGA/right-wing con job.

Finally, what a pleasure it was reading Vance’s column and seeing him refer to the “Democratic Party” and the “Democratic establishment” — not the disrespectful worn-out Rush Limbaugh phrase “Democrat Party” that the MAGA followers still cling to.

Michael J McSweeney, Tacoma

Tacoma Rainiers

While I am impressed by your extensive coverage of local high school sports, I have noticed a puzzling gap in your coverage of our local professional baseball team: the Tacoma Rainiers.

The Rainiers have been at or near the top of their division all year.

The team is playing its final regular season games of the season this weekend at Cheney Stadium.

I have seen absolutely zero coverage of this team in the print edition of The News Tribune.

Why is this?

David Haeck, Tacoma