Recent editorials from Alabama newspapers:
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May 23
The Decatur Daily on protecting law enforcement:
Last week, many in north Alabama took time to remember law enforcement officers who died while on duty.
It was a somber time. Civilians who too often take for granted the security we enjoy were reminded that our protection comes at a cost. Officers - police, deputies and troopers - begin their watch each day with the knowledge that things can go wrong in a hurry. Too many are added every year to the “end of watch” list that brings tears each May.
Last week, we saw the family members left behind, dutifully attending ceremonies that honored their loved ones. The tragedy of each officer’s death was in public view for a few weeks or months, but for family members the pain continues.
The most common cause of on-duty deaths is gunfire. And a look at police deaths in this area makes clear that many of those deaths were caused by a shooter with a history of mental illness.
It’s time that the tears we shed each May translate into a serious effort to protect those officers who each day risk their lives protecting us.
Every year in Alabama, we see legislators filing bills designed to expand access to guns. And every year in Alabama, we see cuts in funding for treatment of the mentally ill. It’s a dangerous combination that too often has fatal consequences for law enforcement officers.
It never has been hard to buy a gun in Alabama. And no responsible lawmaker has ever threatened to take them away. Yet our lawmakers determined that our sheriffs - who could most readily identify those who should not have concealed-carry permits - have little authority to deny them.
The state Legislature also decided it’s OK to carry a handgun in our vehicles within reach of the driver.
Police officers, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers pay the heaviest cost for these and other laws that put guns in the hands of those who should not have them.
Should responsible adults be prevented from having guns? Of course not. But at both the state and national level, modest efforts to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill are routinely rebuffed.
If we were doing all we could to provide treatment to the mentally ill, their ready access to guns might not be as severe a problem. But we’re not.
Instead, the state has closed mental hospitals. It has refused to expand Medicaid, thereby blocking thousands from needed treatment of mental conditions. People who are mentally ill and run afoul of the law are warehoused in our jails and prisons, where they receive little or no treatment. They return to society in worse shape than when they left it.
This toxic combination of mental illness and easy access to guns is dangerous for everyone, but especially for law enforcement officers.
The solutions to these problems are not easy. Even modest efforts to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill are met with intense political resistance. Providing treatment for the mentally ill is expensive.
But as we mourn the officers who have died in their effort to protect us, we should be aware that we have done little to protect them.
Online:
https://www.decaturdaily.com/
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May 22
The Montgomery Advertiser on sex education:
Leadership Montgomery class members learn much about the River Region during their stint in the program, which works to train participants in ways to better the community.
As the Montgomery Advertiser’s Brad Harper reported, they tackle projects related to homelessness, domestic violence, hunger, poverty and other issues, assisted by faith groups, nonprofits and higher education institutions, to transform negatives into positives.
The organization’s goals are laudable and just one example of how Montgomery residents see a better future ahead and are willing to put in sweat equity to make it happen.
Many of the problems the leadership groups take on are stubborn, decades if not centuries in the making, and don’t admit of quick turnarounds.
But one project the most recent legacy leadership class explored should be relatively easy to put to rights.
After trying to set up a program in Montgomery’s eight public high schools to teach teens about the dangers of sexting, sexually transmitted diseases and other sex-education topics, they ran into a roadblock.
Backward state law forbids comprehensive sex-education information for high school kids, including complete discussion of use of prophylactics to prevent disease or pregnancy.
Abstinence for minors should be emphasized as the only guaranteed method of preventing STDs, unwanted pregnancies and other ills that can happen when kids become sexually active too early.
But Alabama’s weak sex-education policies set teens up for an ignorant introduction to biological realities - and possible life-long consequences.
Sex-education courses aren’t mandated in Alabama, though HIV education is, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which advocates for sexual and reproductive health. Even school districts that choose to offer sex-education aren’t required to offer medically accurate information or keep religious teachings from influencing curriculum.
Some religious groups oppose all forms of contraception, leaving the door open for students to receive no reliable, fact-based information.
Perhaps the most disturbingly retrograde part of Alabama’s sex education laws relates to teaching about non-heterosexual sex.
Statute still reads “homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under the laws of the state.” Both notions are obsolete, an embarrassing remnant of past prejudice.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2003 Lawrence v. Texas decision made same-sex activity legal nationwide, and last year’s ruling striking down state bans on same-sex marriage further validated equal rights for gay partners.
Getting the outdated law changed may not be a top priority in a state plagued by poverty, political corruption and an ongoing racial divide.
But giving high school students the full, unbiased facts on sexuality and contraception will mean fewer unintended pregnancies, fewer abortions and lower costs to the state for babies born to parents ill-prepared to support them.
Online:
https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/
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May 24
The TimesDaily on UNA’s national title:
National title a priceless gift to UNA
The benefits of the University of North Alabama’s first-ever national championship in softball go far beyond the bragging rights earned from stellar play on the diamond. Long after the good-natured ribbing of UNA fans has slowed down, the intangibles of the national title will still be kicking in.
It’s almost impossible, really, to estimate just how much a national championship means for UNA and the Shoals area. But this much you can be sure of -a victory at that level of competition is truly a net positive for months, perhaps years, ahead.
The excitement of a national championship resonates throughout the university community - both on campus and off. Students, faculty and staff will display a newfound pride when they tell friends and acquaintances that they attend or work for UNA. And the good feelings associated with this type of victory can also create an outpouring of support from those Shoals residents with no direct ties to the university.
And there’s little doubt the hubbub that surrounded the title chase was a marketing bonanza for UNA. The increased visibility from the media attention of a national title chase could generate a burst of enthusiasm from alumni. It could enhance the university’s efforts to draw new students - both athletes and those academically focused. It could foster student involvement.
The members of the UNA softball team will talk fondly for years to come of the incredible season they had. Their memories will be focused on their field exploits, but university leaders are sure to measure that athletic success on a much broader scale.
President Kitts summed up the benefits nicely when the team returned to Florence.
“Thank you so much for delivering that magic,” said Kitts of the national championship. “It’s big for you guys. It’s big for the University of North Alabama. It’s big for Florence and it’s big for the Shoals.”
A graduation not overlooked
UNA senior Harlie Barkley missed her graduation because she was in Denver, Colorado, with her teammates to compete in the Division II National Championship.
But university officials didn’t overlook her sacrifice.
President Kitts made the trip to Denver on Saturday to surprise Barkley with her own individual graduation ceremony. Before the Lions afternoon games against Humboldt State, Kitts presented Barkley with her diploma as teammates, coaches, family and school officials watched, cheered and applauded.
Clad in her cap and gown, Barkley walked to the front of a makeshift graduation setting to receive her diploma. She graduated Summa Cum Laude.
“It’s pretty cool,” Barkley said of the special ceremony. “I wasn’t really expecting it.”
Kitts said UNA Trustee Steve Pierce was the first one to ask about graduating seniors on the softball field. His question spurred university officials to explore options for honoring Barkley for her classroom achievements. In the end, it was a perfect merging of academics and athletics.
Open display of fan appreciation
The whirlwind week that culminated in a national championship came to a fitting close on Sunday when hundreds of purple and gold clad fans lined up to greet the members of the softball team upon their return to Florence. The walkway of champions was an experience the students will never forget. The adrenaline rush of two lines of fans several people deep reaching out to offer congratulations and high fives as players and coaches strolled along the walkway brought smiles, and perhaps a few chill bumps, to the Lions.
Online:
https://www.timesdaily.com/
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