Scouting’s future; another Flight 253 security flap; America’s growing debt

What to do about Scouting

Re “Is Scouting prepared to change?” Opinion, Dec. 30

I’m a father of two boys, ages 6 and 8, who are in Cub Scouts. My wife and I have been happy that Scouting has helped our sons gain confidence, meet new friends and learn values such as charity and integrity.

I can’t speak for everyone in our pack, but I think most of the parents don’t agree with the Boy Scouts of America’s policy regarding homosexuality.

My hope is that like-minded parents can change the Boy Scouts’ policy from within by becoming leaders and speaking out. I also hope that people can look past the current policy and see how good Scouting can be for boys. When all we hear about is the lack of role models for boys, the Scouting experience can have a positive and lifelong effect.

Michael Kelley
Santa Monica

I applaud the Boy Scouts of America at 100 years for its success in helping boys become men.

It is appropriate for traditional values and current American policies to guide the motto, slogan, oath and law for each Boy Scout policy and program.

For example, a close kinship has traditionally existed between the Boy Scouts and the U.S. military.

If our commander in chief were to remove all vestiges of discrimination based on sexual orientation from the military, then the Boy Scouts of America could follow suit.

Rodney Burgoyne
North Hollywood

I have three Eagle Scout sons and three Eagle Scout grandsons, and I deeply resent Charles Fleming’s article.

It appears he became politically liberal and ashamed of being an Eagle Scout.

He attempts to disparage Eagle Scouts by naming Gerald Ford and Donald Rumsfeld, a political cheap shot. He failed to mention astronauts Neil Armstrong and James Lovell, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis.

Scouting builds character and responsibility and develops personal fitness. Any boy would be lucky to be in Scouting, and now more than ever its positive influence is needed.

But Fleming and the ACLU want to kill Scouting unless it conforms to their liberal views.

Howard Lockwood
Lake View Terrace

Questions of security

Re “Clues became clear as flight headed to U.S.,” Jan. 7

So U.S. border security officials learned enough about alleged Nigerian bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab while Flight 253 was airborne that they planned to question him when he landed.

I guess they wanted to be sure the horses were well clear of the barn.

Had a sky marshal been aboard this high-risk flight, as we were promised by our government after 9/11, it would have been a simple matter to have the airline send the flight crew a data message while en route, whereupon the sky marshal could have handcuffed the suspect, then searched him -- while the horses were still safely in the barn.

Is this administration nuts, or is it me?

Wally Roberts
San Clemente

Re “ Obama gives his team earful over foiled plot,” Jan. 6

President Obama’s feigned outrage at intelligence failures comes as empty words from an empty suit. He has discouraged vigilance in the war on terror.

The would-be airliner bomber should have been immediately put on the no-fly list after his father’s warning. Al Qaeda terrorists should not be prosecuted in civilian courts. And the Guantanamo Bay enemy combatant facility should not be closed.

Lowering the bar in the war against terrorism only serves the cause of terrorists, not the security of America. The best offense is an aggressive defense. And, needless to say -- when our lives are at stake -- no holds barred.

The source of the “systemic failure” on counter-terrorism is the Obama administration’s reckless disregard for the magnitude of the terrorist threat. Result:

Al Qaeda wins.

Daniel B. Jeffs
Apple Valley

Learning begins at home

Re “Changes for bad schools take 1st step,” Jan. 6

The new bills will allow parents to petition to fire principals or even close schools.

How about this: The only parents who can sign such a petition have to have regularly read to their toddler children, enforced their children’s school attendance, made sure their children have breakfast, limited their children’s television and time spent with electronic gadgets, taught them manners, attended school parent meetings, kept them out of gangs, kept them doing homework and emphasized the importance of education.

It’s hard enough teaching kids in huge numbers. Trying to undo bad parenting makes the job ridiculous for even the best teachers and schools.

Joel Pressman
Los Angeles

It’s hard to believe that politicians again are going to try to fix “bad” schools by giving parents more power.

If they were well schooled in educational research, they’d know that the only thing that correlates positively at a level of statistical significance with high test scores, high GPAs and other measures is per capita income. Put simply, rich kids usually excel in school and poor kids often don’t.

If the California Legislature is serious about improving schools, it should do everything it can to stem the rising number of Californians who are falling into poverty.

Bruce Mitchell
Oxnard

These reforms don’t address the real culprit behind our failed inner-city public school system: social promotion and grade inflation.

In communities where most have college degrees, parents keep children on target by insisting that they complete homework assignments and study for tests, while most inner-city parents naively turn their children over to school districts that pass kids on to the next grade level regardless of whether essential skills are mastered.

Meanwhile, teachers are pressured not to fail too many students -- so they create easy tests and give less homework.

Passing children along who are not learning is a disservice and a perpetuation of a terrible farce.

Jeff Goldberg
Inglewood
The writer is a teacher at Crenshaw High School.

Teach what you know

Re “Teachers seek control at up-for-bid L.A. schools,” Jan. 2

It was interesting to learn that the teachers’ strategy room was fortified with “Fritos and Doritos, mini Kit Kat bars and a box of supermarket Christmas cookies.”

I hope these teachers aren’t planning to teach nutrition should they gain the control they are seeking.

Dana Aswad
Irvine

Can we afford to keep the peace?

Re “A land of chaos,” Opinion, Jan. 5

The United States’ national debt is approaching $13 trillion.

The budget deficit in 2009 was a record $1.42 trillion.

Foreign interests have gobbled up a staggering number of prize American assets.

The United States has borrowed more than a trillion dollars from China to wage wars to prevent Afghanistan and Iraq from becoming failed states.

We are now told that greater resources must be expended -- i.e., borrowed -- to prevent Yemen from becoming a failed state.

Future generations saddled with crushing debt will look back and say we failed them.

Joseph Sorrentino
Los Angeles