Letters to the editor — June 27, 2018

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Politics, poorly played

The present events at our southern border causes one to remember the words of Sir Winston Churchill: “The utter obsession of the liberals with sentiment apart from reality.”

There would not be instances of children separated from their parents if people would stop attempting to enter our country illegally.

Now our vaunted Fourth Estate is describing these events “as a win for Democrats,” which begs the question: Why are wins for the Democrats always losses for our country?

Ethan Harris

Sequim

How many readers know?

1) During the past 50-plus years, more than 100 million U.S. public high school students have dropped out or flunked out. For those not incarcerated or dead, all are eligible to vote. That’s about three-eighths of the US electorate.

2) Good paying jobs, once a part of “The American Dream,” are rapidly changing or disappearing due to accelerating advances in technologies. Since 2007, these advances in robotics and other automation have doubled more than seven times, while increasing job qualifications. (Ref: “Thank You for Being Late,” Friedman, 2016) Once, a school dropout might have become an auto mechanic. Today, the average modern car functions with 30 computers, the computers vary by car maker; i.e., Ford and Toyota computers are different. Most auto mechanics these days are trained in computer diagnostics.

3) Our nation, one of the world’s richest, ranks 17th in math and 27th in education overall.

4) There are six million-plus good paying jobs available in the US today, which cannot be filled by the applicants because: a) lack of qualifications, b) drug addiction and c) felony convictions. Drug addiction and related deaths in the USA are a pandemic with about 150,000 deaths in 2014-2016. Annual drug deaths have increased a factor of six since 1990.

Who or what is responsible for the current situation? There is blame for everyone but little is being done to correct it:

a) The traditional American family has been deteriorating since the 1960s, with more single parents having to work two or three jobs, leaving less time to help their student children with studies. And many of those single parents are incapable to help their student children, as the parents are part of the 100 million-plus drop-outs/flunk-outs.

b) U.S. corporations are relying more on automation, which requires fewer human workers. Humans are not as dependable (drug use and crime) and more costly (training, fringes, leave, salaries) than robots.

c) There is a need for education curricula changes to prepare students for life after high school, and for students and parents to recognize life’s vocational decisions should be made in the eighth or ninth grades. Not all students need to go to college/university (loan debt can be a long term problem) but most will need vocational training after high school. Everyone needs monetary income for food, shelter, transportation and health are. With free schooling, begging and homelessness should not be anyone’s life’s options.

Richard Hahn

Sequim