Letters to the Editor

Be prepared for a great story

I’m a Boy Scout in Troop 82, which is sponsored by Highland Park Presbyterian Church, and I am working on my communication merit badge.

I think your publication should do a story on Boy Scouts, because Boy Scouts is fun and beneficial for young people in so many ways. You learn how to be a good citizen in the community, to respect nature, learn how to survive in the wilderness, and how to lead others through service.

I am two years away from earning Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank in Boy Scouts. Many famous Americans are Eagle Scouts such as Neil Armstrong, Steven Spielberg, J.W. Marriott, and former presidents Gerald Ford and George Bush!

I really think people would love to hear about Boy Scouts and the enjoyment they can get from being a part of it.

Nicholas Fontenot Troop 82

Remember the Constitution

When I taught American History at McCulloch Intermediate School in the 1970’s-80’s, we had mock presidential elections.

Prior to election day, I stressed the U.S. Constitution, the importance of knowing about both sides of every issue, and journalistic skills like the difference between fact and opinion. If I were back in the classroom today, I would also stress how history repeats itself, and, if we don’t recognize a threat to our democracy today, we may vote against our own best interests. 

Everyone elected to our federal government takes an oath to protect and support our Constitution, but oaths and actions often don’t match today. 

If memory serves me right, I think eighth graders memorized the Preamble to the Constitution. Remember this? 

“We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” 

God bless. 

Bonnie Hardaway Tyler