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Horne must stop grandstanding on ethnic studies Horne out of touch, program backers say TUSD Ethnic Studies targeted

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The following letters are in response to the June 13 article "Horne out of touch, program backers say," and the June 14 editorial "Horne must stop grandstanding on ethnic studies."

How America has changed. When I was growing up every citizen of the U.S. was an "American." It didn't make any different whether we were Caucasian, African-American, Asian or Native American.

I never heard of Irish-Americans, Polish-Americans, German-Americans, Italian-Americans — we were all one country, one nation, one language, one people.

After World War II we began to have hyphenated Americans. When I came to Tucson in 1947 I discovered there were Mexican-Americans. Where have all the Americans gone? State school superintendent Tom Horne feels that special programs wherein Americans are divided into ethnic groups instead of all being united as Americans are divisive and racist.

I agree. Regardless of the country of origin of our forefathers, we must put away loyalty and devotion to any nation or ethnic group except "Americans." Anything else will ultimately prove to be a disaster to this great nation.

We must continue to be one nation, undivided, and all of us should be known by one name, Americans.

I am sick and tired of this debate. I witnessed a Social Justice Government class offered by Ethnic Studies at Rincon High School for an entire school year. As a somewhat conservative individual, and an Anglo, I wanted to see for myself what the course was about, so I agreed to host the course.

I was impressed with the students' growth over the course of the year. The class started like most classes, with students sitting on their hands and not participating. But by the end of the first couple of weeks, the dynamics of the class changed, with students eagerly participating.

The course has merit and is a success. I believe that most of the hubbub revolves around society not wanting to realize that Martin Luther King's dream has yet to become a reality. If anyone does not believe me, they should surf the net looking for commentary related to Barack Obama.

I am convinced that the content of TUSD's ethnic studies has little to do with any educational successes of its students. In fact it may well encourage racial bias. The more you wear your ethnicity on your sleeve, the more difficult it is to defeat racial bias. If you place any child in a setting in which concerned adults encourage good grades, the child will feel a part of a group and perform to the expectations of the group.

Too bad the school has to do what the home should do. Instilling pride in being well educated should have begun long before high school.

Any curriculum, whether elective or not, that teaches a segment of our population to be anti-American, anti-Western, or that holds out the United States as an oppressor against whom this segment of the population should stage an uprising, does not belong in public tax-supported schools.

Superintendent Tom Horne is absolutely correct in calling for the abolishment of such "studies."

Have you seen the Morgan Quinto Press Smartest State rankings? They are available online. Arizona is number 50 out of 50. In other words, Arizona is the dumbest state. This should not be surprising, especially for those in or from other states. The rhetoric and practice from Arizona's political leaders proves the point daily.

School superintendent Tom Horne could make sure that every classroom has adequate books and supplies and that teachers are paid salaries equivalent to their educational and professional status. Instead, he crusades against programs that are proven to successfully assist students of color and even white students in school.

I see further proof of Arizona's rankings in my daily interactions. The ignorance of the people concerning the American Indian nations in their own state and in the world is beyond belief.

Ignorance of history and other cultures and the blind acceptance of manifest destiny and ethnocentrism: Too bad for Arizona.