Letters to the Editor

Wrong start to Iraq war

Presidential politics has long been about symbols, sound bites and today’s talking points. Yet there is a world beyond American politics. That world increasingly includes stateless factions — most disenfranchised — that see violence as a viable political tool. Maybe it sees it as the only tool at hand.

The Bush administration has failed miserably to address organized, stateless violence. It has ignored the assets of established — and legal — systems to ferret out mobile networks. It has cast and recast its “war on terror” in outdated global frameworks, complete with a front line and a victory.

This is not our conflict with fascism, as in Hitler’s nationalistic, geographic state-bound agenda. This isn’t the Cold War with some of the same overtones. This isn’t Vietnam with its clear local, geographical agenda for political control of an area.

Invading Iraq was part and parcel of that old mindset. The “war on terror” can’t be won in Iraq. Nor can it be won. The premise is wrong from the get-go.

Terrorism as a political tool has an agenda. Someone in our government ought to start looking at it in that context, in my humble opinion. And it has an appropriate response. It’s not going to go away on a slogan or a sound bite.

Jamie Ford

San Luis Obispo

Take a different STAR tact

Spring is upon us and with it comes the annual onslaught of testing for school-age children. Among these are the Standardized Testing and Reporting tests for children in second through 11th grades.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the state’s STAR program, part of a system intended “to hold students, schools and districts accountable for improving student performance,” according to its Web site at www.ed-data.k12.ca.us.

Standardized testing always has been surrounded by controversy, and attached to the STAR tests are a multitude of fears and urban myths. The actual effectiveness of the STAR tests as an assessment tool remains in question.

Many people are unaware that they have the option to excuse their child from STAR testing. If parents would like to excuse their children from the testing, they simply need to write a note to the principal stating this request.

I understand that many people fear that exemption from STAR testing will negatively affect the child. I encourage you to speak with the principal of your child’s school to discuss this and any other concerns. Ask her/him whether you can see something in writing that answers your questions and affirms or quells your fears.

Margherita Smith

Los Osos