My ancestors came to America for religious freedom. Stop trying to destroy it | Opinion

Religious freedom

I am an 11th-generation descendant of a forefather who came to America on the Mayflower. One driving force for the trip was to seek religious freedom. My ancestors living here had many different religious beliefs. Now come our state legislators working to pass HB 162 requiring teachers to read bible passages to students.

This is not what America was founded upon. This is indoctrination of students as well as dictating only one religious belief. Quite frankly, this is a form of tyranny telling parents what will and will not be taught to their children. Just stop it and get back to addressing the needs of Idaho citizens.

Stephen Brown, Meridian

Destruction of American science

I am a Boise native conducting biomedical research out of state. My colleagues and I try to develop cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases that devastate our society. Trump’s administration is blocking our ability to find cures for these diseases.

They recently cut the amount of grant funding that can be used by a school for non-direct research costs. This will cut payments for information technology staff that keep medical records safe, for electricity in labs and hospitals, and for medical journal access. This policy disproportionately hurts smaller universities such as the University of Idaho and Boise State University that do not have as many private donations. Additionally, the federal funding freeze blocked the payment of Ph.D. students by NSF in February entirely (the best students are funded by this fellowship). These poor Ph.D. students basically were not paid during February due to the federal spending freeze.

There is no justified reason for the government to block NIH and NSF funding, and they should immediately reverse this and not touch science funding! Science funding is well controlled, regulated and overseen already by university, government and science reviews. For example, you have to show progress on the project every year to keep getting the funds. The current policies will kill science and hurt the development of treatments for diseases like cancer. These policies also directly impact smaller research universities like those in Idaho more than they affect larger universities with large research endowments.

Jennifer Day, Ph.D., San Francisco, Calif.

The history of DEI

DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) has a history. Overturning Jim Crow laws, creating Affirmative Action and the 1964 Civil Rights Act, are some of the events that promote fair treatment of Americans by Americans. DEI is our latest effort toward “liberty and justice for all.”

Yet I believe that today DEI programs have become a catch-all for what some of us perceive to be the evils in society. Some of us want to feel superior and have villainized DEI programs.

I believe our government has switched its role. In most cases the government has tried to serve the citizens with fairness. However, the present government has deliberately joined the culture of unfairness by cutting funds for the most needy and vulnerable Americans.

“Make America Great Again” was used by Ronald Reagan. It is a loaded phrase with multiple possible meanings. Today I believe it is being used to empower a population that is white, Anglo and male. I think greatness in America has always come from our diverse population, equal treatment under the law, and inclusion of all Americans.

Let’s accept differences in others. Everyone can thrive and show merit. Let’s keep working for fairness. Isn’t that the American dream?

Jean Stark, Boise

Musk’s agenda

Musk is billionaire beneficiary of apartheid in South Africa who wants to remake it here. Period. So let’s stop referring to him and his gang of adolescent sycophants by this stupid acronym, “doge” as if they are a legitimate part of the federal got rnment. They are not. I call upon the Idaho Statesman and all American media to call them what they are, for heavens sake. Gang of 4 or whatever. But don’t legitimize them by calling them by the ridiculous acronym trump gave them. ( the word “doge” has a meaning in Italian history having to do with courts or justice, which makes its use here even more inappropriate ).

In the meantime, I will be supporting and working on the world I envision, which is filled with diversity, equity and inclusion. And I will continue to be as woke as I am able to be for as long as I am able.

Linda Lester, Boise

A better way to cut government

As we watch Elon Musk take a wrecking ball to the federal government, those of us who agree government waste should be eliminated should recognize Musk’s approach will likely not result in a better functioning government but will destroy its capacity to provide the essential services most Americans want and need. An excellent analysis of how Musk’s approach is misdirected appears in Jennifer Pahlka’s op-ed in the NY Times. She was Deputy Chief Technology Officer in the Obama administration and a founder of the US Digital Service, which Musk has coopted to become the Department of Government Efficiency. As Jennifer explains, if what we want/need is a more streamlined, less costly and more effective government the answer’s not firing staff and closing departments, it is overhauling and removing obsolete and excessive regulations and requirements that stifle, delay and block implementation, creativity and innovation by dedicated government workers. By contrast, the path Musk is on will take away what’s good in government and leave a void where legitimate services are needed.

If you share this view, please urge your elected representatives to stop Musk’s destructive approach and replace it with something sensible.

Paul Hill, Boise

Stop accessing my personal information

I am writing to express my profound concern about the unauthorized access of my personal information, which has allegedly been allowed into the hands of individuals without the requisite security clearance.

This disturbing situation marks an unprecedented event in the history of the United States. I don’t believe the “read-only” access that was allowed was enough to safeguard everyone’s data from malicious action. Our senators should be particularly alarmed by this breach since they approved the Treasury Secretary two weeks ago, and he allowed access to our most sensitive data.

I eagerly anticipate hearing about the steps being taken to investigate this security breakdown. They have to be aware of the potential ramifications if private information of individuals who receive or send money to our government falls into the wrong hands.

The information in question could include bank account details, medical records, social security numbers, addresses, and login information for sites like SSA, IRS and Medicare.gov.

As a concerned citizen, I look forward the prompt response needed from Congress to safeguard our private information.

Bruce Krohn, Post Falls