Letters: Hillsdale has shown its true colors; Thompson must push for Ukraine funding bill

Hillsdale has shown its true colors

In his letter of Feb. 24 Andrew J. Yurcho stated that Hillsdale College, which wants to bring their curriculum to a local charter school, “doesn’t take one dime of government money.” That may sound great until you realize the reason is that Hillsdale refuses to comply with Title IX. Title IX says, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” They were given the choice between signing Title IX’s “Assurance of Compliance” or not receiving government funding. They chose discrimination. This was not the last time Hillsdale showed its true colors. In 2013 Hillsdale’s longtime president Larry P. Arnin testified before Michigan’s legislature arguing that his school did not violate the “standards of diversity.” He was testifying because, “we didn’t have enough dark ones, I guess, is what they meant.” According to Arnin, “The State of Michigan sent a group of people down to my campus, with clipboards ... to look at the colors of people’s faces and write down what they saw. We don’t keep records of that information. What were they looking for besides dark ones?” Is that the kind of education you want for your children?

Deb Fohringer, Bellefonte

Thompson must push for Ukraine funding bill

Recently, Rep. Glenn ”GT” Thompson emailed his constituents stating, “Alexi Navalny died while serving time in an Arctic penal colony. Alexi was Valdmir Putin’s loudest critic, and his death is a tragedy. He was a voice for a better Russia amid the corruption and brutality of Putin’s genocidal regime. Even after his death, his family remains unable to bury him as law enforcement will not release his body. ... The Putin Regime must be held accountable for this.” I totally agree with Rep. Thompson.

The senseless war is entering its third year. Thirty-one thousand Ukrainian troops have been killed. Many more maimed/wounded. As of Dec. 15, U.S. intelligence estimated 315,000 Russian troops were dead/wounded. At his marathon news conference, Putin said,”There’ll be peace when we achieve our goals...”, repeating claims that this unprovoked attack was carried out to secure the “denazification, demilitarization of Ukraine and its neutral status.” Total nonsense. Putin is a vile thug who does not value any human life, except his own. His lust for power and territory will not end with Ukraine. He must be stopped.

House Speaker Johnson appears to be more concerned about keeping his newly acquired title than doing his job. He must stop making excuses, and bring the senate passed Ukraine funding bill to the floor for a vote. With each passing day, their artillery supply is dwindling, and more Ukrainians are dying. I’m hoping “G.T.” stands for “Get Tough,” and that our Rep. Glenn Thompson, with firm conviction, will urge the Speaker to do what’s right.

Betty Stanford, State College

Embryos have more rights than women

Recent events surrounding in vitro fertilization (IVF) emphasize how Republicans’ views of “life” depend on the political winds.

The Republican Party claims that “life begins at conception,” enacting draconian abortion bans with little concern for pregnant women.

In line with that position, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF are “children.”

Fertility clinics in Alabama suspended services, fearing criminal liability; IVF treatment typically produces more fertilized embryos than are used, so some are destroyed.

The backlash was fierce. People undergoing IVF were outraged. A poll from a Republican consultant showed that 85% of Americans support IVF.

In light of the obvious repudiation of their “pro-life” position, Republicans backtracked, now condemning the Alabama decision. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, urged the party’s candidates to “clearly and concisely reject efforts by the government to restrict IVF.” (Never mind that the judge who wrote the Alabama decision is one of their own – a conservative Republican whose work helped overturn Roe and reverse women’s fundamental right to control their own bodies.)

So, what exactly is the GOP position on embryos? “Not children” when they are in a test tube, but “children” when they are in a woman’s body? How much clearer can Republicans be that their position on reproductive rights is not about the sanctity of life but rather about controlling women?

Americans see Republicans’ hypocrisy and disdain for women – and will vote accordingly.

Sheri Berenbaum, State College

Pattern of distortion

As usual, a recent screen from G.T. Thompson blames President Biden for inflation. This is a habit of Mr. Thompson and the merry crew of distortionists. He seems to gloss over the fact that inflation, since the end of the pandemic, has been a global phenomenon. According to the International Monetary Fund, more than 150 nations of the world have current inflation rates higher than the United States. Should we presume that President Biden is responsible for higher inflation in Germany, Great Britain, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand; just name a few. Surely Mr. Thompson did not intend to give President Biden credit for the worldwide economy. No, Mr. Thompson weekly publication merely continues its pattern of distortion. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to actually have a Representative that would provide facts and use facts to vote on issues?

Jeffrey Kern, State College