Letters: Obama column insults, offends Republicans

To the editor:

Your comments [Brack, 1/5] that imply that South Carolina Republicans don’t support President Obama because he’s (egad!) black are insulting and offensive. As a South Carolina Republican or, for that matter, just a South Carolinian, it’s a real insult to be called a racist because I don’t support a remarkably liberal president.

South Carolina Republicans had no problem electing a black U.S. senator or a governor whose parents were Sikhs. These statewide elections show that it’s ideology, not skin color, that compels South Carolina Republicans to choose their leaders these days.

Most people would agree that Obama’s ideology differs dramatically from South Carolina Republicans on most issues. Stop the hate-mongering and painting people who disagree with you politically as evil. Let’s move forward.

— Willis Cantey, Mount Pleasant, S.C.

The challenge for downtown education

To the editor:

Yes, the letter writer [Leister, 1/5] is correct in stating that a stable two-parent family is the foundation from which good education is built. It is not enough, however, to merely assign blame to the lack of stable two-parent families. Instead, the challenge to society is, given the lack of stable two-parent households, how do we as a society intervene?

— Dave Brown, Charleston, S.C.

No need to close Burke Middle/High School

To the editor:

While I respect Fran’s opinion [Clasby, 12/29], there is no need to close down Burke. The demographics has shifted on the peninsula from the time I attended Burke (1995-1999), but the need to have a public high school remains. Burke has not lost its roots in the community. Many of my classmates and students that attended during my time are productive members of society and serve the community at large, both locally and elsewhere, very well. I’m not certain what he means by Burke not being an inclusive school that serves the city. Does he want Burke to be a “magnet” school as it had Academic Magnet on campus when I was a student or does he want the name Charleston High to be resurrected?

CCSD has invested into Burke, but the residents of the city have chosen to send their children elsewhere. You don’t fix such a problem with money. It takes leadership and a committed group of people at every level that want to see Burke succeed. This is in the best interest of the community and I welcome Fran’s role in seeing that Burke High School attracts, retains and graduates students we all can be proud of.

— Clay N. Middleton, Washington, D.C.