Views in brief

A senator defends his bigotry

SOUTH CAROLINA state Sen. Jake Knotts made news in June by calling Nikki Haley, the Republican candidate for governor, a "raghead."

Knotts was supporting Andre Bauer--known for saying that welfare was like "feeding stray animals"--for the June 8 Republican primary when he made the remark on Pub Politics, an online talk show. He later qualified the remark by adding that his definition of a "raghead" is someone who covers up their religion.

Knotts suspects Haley is a Sikh and explained that South Carolina needs a "good Christian" for governor. He also called President Obama a "raghead" and said, "We're at war over there."

This supreme display of ignorance speaks to the quality of various leaders in South Carolina. People must take a stand against racist politicians by ousting those in power for the better of society. This begins with grassroots organization.

Many politicians cynically expect offhand remarks to "blow over." Unfortunately, "raghead" and other terms of ignorance reflect deep-seated racism generated by a system that propagates inequality.
Marc LaFleche, Columbia, S.C.

How do we hold BP accountable?

I JUST read Robert Reich's "Why the United States Still Can't Get BP to Do What's Necessary" in Phil Gasper's Critical Reading blog, and it still sickens me that BP and the government knew 10 years ago that this spill was a possibility.

I can't believe that the media is only complaining about the president not "looking angry enough." But at the end of the day, it doesn't surprise me that both the U.S. government and BP are delaying their actions to stop this. Money speaks very loudly, and it spoke over the warnings and detailed reports. Money is the reason why BP used faulty equipment to crack the ocean's floor for oil, even though it was told that it was too deep, and that a disaster may strike.

But they didn't listen. And the government is saying they're doing something about it, while giving each other the old "nudge, nudge-wink-wink."

My question is, as socialists, what can we do about this? As people who love the environment, how much longer can we stand by as BP walks away from this mess with the help of our government? How much longer can fishermen commit suicide because they can no longer work to feed their families? How many more animals will die, their bodies covered in oil?

I protest by not going to BP gas stations, but I want to do more than that. I don't want BP to get with this any further than they have.
Shermeeka Mason, Rochester, N.Y.

Who's in charge of our schools?

REGARDING "THE Chicago school reform fraud":This was a great article--informative and enlightening. I always suspected and had heard that Arne Duncan was a hack on the issue of education. I'm glad that this article clearly showed his privileged path to power.

It's frightening that someone with his lack of experience and surfeit of foolish notions has so much control over the education of the nation's children.
Dave, Washington, D.C.

DREAM students are fighting for justice

REGARDING "The DREAM Act front and center" and the students who sat in at Sen. John McCain's Arizona office:

Dear DREAM students,

We will not give up until the last grain of sand falls. It seems like we are just a political tool. Politicians use us to pick up votes. Community leaders want our energy to further their agenda. All the while, the status quo remains the same.

We are denied the right to educate ourselves, the right to apply our knowledge. We must not give up. We must not fall to the levels of the opposition. We will prevail. The DREAM Act will pass. Justice will always triumph.

Thanks Mo, Lizbeth, and Yahira for risking so much for us to continue to dream--dream about a day when I will commute to school without the fear that it might be my last day; dream about being free from fear of police. This type of lifestyle is not life.

Thank you so much.
Raphael, Phoenix