Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

Here.

Here.

Re: “Trump threatens to pull tax exemption for schools, colleges” [July 10, Education]:

President Donald Trump exhorts every public school to reopen this fall or face withholding of funds. Education Secretary Betsy Devos, champion of private, parochial and charter schools, echoes Trump’s efforts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has specified guidelines for the schools. Trump calls them too onerous, too political, too time consuming and promises his own simpler guidelines.

Trump’s simplified business guidelines for reopening failed, yielding increased virus cases and deaths across the U.S. He’s totally failed to address this pandemic. Now he wants to foist his failed efforts on the schools, hoping to improve the economy and his reelection bid.

Lacking health and safety guidelines, look your child in the eyes, whatever their age, and answer the question Trump has asked about unproven drug treatments for coronavirus: “What have you got to lose?”

David Kerchner, Kirkland

Note from KBJ: If President Trump's motivation is political, then so is yours, David. Why would he be improperly motivated and you not?

So we catch Obama & Biden, not to even mention the rest of their crew, SPYING on my campaign, AND NOTHING HAPPENS? I hope not! If it were the other way around, 50 years for treason. NEVER FORGET!!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Here.

Here.

On July 8, a prisoner who was sentenced to death at age 18—experts say this is an age when the brain is not yet mature—was executed after 25 years on death row.

The prisoner, Billy Joe Wardlow, was a now mature individual, posing no threat to the prison population and was a documented calming influence to those behind bars. Hundreds of letters asking for a commutation were ignored by the governor and the Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Now the president commutes the sentence of an individual who lied to federal investigators to cover up for the president. This is especially troublesome when the crux of the Roger Stone case was the betrayal of America by the president to favor Russia. A review of the protocol for pardons and sentence commutations at all levels is urgently needed.

Manuel Garcia, Austin

Note from KBJ: Did you know that Wardlow shot an 82-year-old man between the eyes, Manuel? I'll bet you didn't, because you sound like an ignoramus. Would you want him put to death if he shot you (or a loved one) between the eyes? Of course you would; so stop trying to deny the family of the victim the satisfaction of seeing this scumbag die.