Editor’s note: Count on The Daily Signal’s audience to have a lot to say on the state of public education and other topics, as this week’s mailbag reveals. You can join in by emailing [email protected]—Ken McIntyre

Dear Daily Signal: Excellent article by Fred Lucas about the education failures of the Great Society (“Why LBJ’s Great Society Gets a Failing Grade in Improving Education”). Here are a few comments about education, some of which may seem obvious.

Education is too important to leave to education professionals.

The federal role in education should be very limited. Note that the Constitution omits education as a federal responsibility, leaving it to the states and the people.

The failures of the Head Start program do not mean that it is a bad idea. To begin, it should be a state-level program (at the highest), not a federal program. Disadvantaged children still need increased opportunities.

Business communities at the local level need to be much more involved in public education to assure that they will have an educated work force in the future.—Steve Lipson, Tucson, Ariz.

Dear Daily Signal: Thank you for the interview with theologian Bruce Ashford (“The Gospel of Marx: A False Religion Explained”). I am 39 years old and grew up in California’s Marxist public schools, where I was a conservative activist in high school.

After reading your excellent podcast interview with Dr. Ashford, it makes sense to me for the first time why we can’t use their tactics in service of our own goals.

For all that schools steep students in Marxism, they never tell you they’re doing it, and they don’t lay out their assumptions for students to critique.

It’s all about using the artificial environment of the school to condition students to a false view of what it means to be human. Thanks to Dr. Ashford for turning the lights on.—Jacquelyn Soniat, Franklinton, La.

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Dear Daily Signal: I enjoyed reading Ken Larson’s letter on his journey from California to Virginia and the lack of education in public schools (“We Hear You: Notes on Our Schools From the Belly of the Beast”). This agenda of dummying down our youth and promoting an indoctrination started in the 1960s.

These were the same college students who protested and burned the American flag. These radicals became teachers and taught several generations thereafter.

We are now seeing clearly what their real agenda is. You need to move your family and protect your children and grandchildren. Homeschooling or a decent Christian school is the only answer to saving our youth.—Nina Lewis

Our Columnists

Dear Daily Signal: I applaud Star Parker’s commentary, “The Left’s Real Impeachment Wish.” Trump supporters need to stand up for him.

Trump supporters need to write letters to the editor and speak out about the constant fake news and lies of the Democrats. Civility has left our planet. America is not only divided, it is at war.

I am fed up with the battle between Democrats and Republicans. Enough is enough.

Even Ellen DeGeneres made the left irate by sitting with a former Republican president, George W. Bush, at a Dallas Cowboys football game. It is absurd that anyone would not agree with her remark about it: “Be kind to one another; I do not mean the people that think the same way that you do, I mean anyone!”

I wish all Democrats were like Ellen. We need to heal and unite America and start working together to solve our country’s problems.—Pat Ellis, Clinton, Miss.

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That was a fabulous essay by Armstrong Williams, structuring an explanation for what is happening in the government due to President Trump’s goals (“The Deep State Plot Against Trump”). Of course, that is why we voted for him.

Today we agree with leaving the Syrian border area with Turkey, and the news is showing how complicated that area is: Turkey (a NATO ally), Assad and Syria, the Kurds, Russia, Iraq, Iran, etc.

A sensible choice by Trump, who has been telegraphing for awhile that it was his preference. But still I keep wondering, does the military think they should control the world?

However, I think the U.S. is correct to confront China, especially in the South China Sea.—Jennifer Runquist

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Thanks to Dennis Prager for his great, yet very unfortunate, article about Google (“YouTube’s Concerning Suppression of Conservative Speech”). I feel his pain.

I have sent in multiple online requests for the company to fix the lack of industry standard TLS encryption on my gmail account. No response. Why?—Kathleen Goryl

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Walter Williams is right (“U.S. in Moral Decline”). He continues to gift us with his pearls of insight and honesty. The U.S. is in moral decline and it is up to the people to step in and take back the country.

As always, Walter Williams is a true patriot.—Dorothy Buckelew

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Walter Williams’ commentary headlined “The Victim Trap That Keeps People Down” was wonderfully thought provoking.

His professor’s comment reminded me of one of my Arizona State University educational psychology professor’s observations: “You wouldn’t care so much about what people thought of you if you knew how seldom they did.”—Cynthia Curtis

More on Red Flag Laws

Dear Daily Signal: There are no good “red flag” laws. Seriously. In her commentary, “What’s in a Good Red Flag Law,” Amy Swearer advocates raids, confiscations, and arrests—even if temporary—on the basis of what is essentially a rumor.

This reaction to hysteria is typical of leftist media, but disappointing to see on The Daily Signal site. So scratch the Second, Fourth, Fifth, and 14th amendments. There isn’t much left of people’s individual rights.

Too bad. Swearer could have taken a principled stand in favor of individual rights, but didn’t. It won’t matter to you, but I unsubscribe.—Lee Deming

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Red flag laws are wrong by nature. They are unconstitutional. I will never be able to trust The Heritage Foundation again.

You are cutting your own throat and that of all conservatives, especially the president of the United States.—Richard Cure

Timothy Goeglein of @FocusFamily: A return to our nation’s founding principles—to robust religious liberty—will allow true freedom to flourish. https://t.co/hUmaJHh8oJ — The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) October 31, 2019

The Attorney General and Civil Liberties

Dear Daily Signal: First, I’d like to say I am a big fan of The Daily Signal, and especially love the podcast. However, I am a bit disappointed at the fawning praise of Attorney General William Barr’s recent speech concerning religious liberty.

Most especially, Timothy Goeglein’s commentary piece (“Why Faith Is Key to Preserving Our Liberty”) was effusive in its praise, but never once brought up the fact that our ability to maintain and preserve our religious liberty is severely threatened, not only by the leftists but by Barr and his own views and policies—and various other views and policies of the Trump administration.

During his speech, Barr said: “If you rely upon the coercive power of government to impose restraints [on faith], this will inevitably lead to a government that is too controlling, and you will end up with no liberty, just tyranny.”

But the attorney general has no qualms applying the coercive powers of government to impose restraints on other civil liberties, such as our Second Amendment rights to gun ownership through his support of red flag laws.

He has no problem with invading our personal effects for the purposes of search through massive government surveillance and his insistence that the government have access to encrypted data through back doors.

He has no care or concern to rein in the coercive power of government to impose restraints on the use of personal property and be free from confiscation by the government under civil asset forfeiture.

Barr supports all of these: red flag laws and restrictions on gun ownership, government surveillance of private citizens, encryption back doors, civil asset forfeiture, and more.

The attorney general’s support of the erosion of our personal liberties and his pursuit of governmental overreach in these other areas tells me that he is not at all concerned about “the coercive power of government to impose restraints.”

Personally, when I read about the speech, I see only “bread and circuses” meant to keep the masses content and silent by falsely believing that Barr and the Trump administration are supportive of our American rights and liberties—even as they continue to work to erode and destroy them.

I am sorely disappointed that The Daily Signal, along with other outlets which I consider to retain a bit of journalistic integrity and strongly uphold American values and liberties, is looking intently at the waving of the right hand and ignoring the activity of the left. I fear that the fiddlers are already tuning to play as the fires of Rome burn.—Matt Dent

No, We’re Not Selling Out the Syrian Kurds—But We Should Mediate Their Conflict With Turkey. https://t.co/xv2yvLBz5r pic.twitter.com/3WzfU5nltW — The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) October 12, 2019

Requests and Advice

Dear Daily Signal: I share news articles from The Daily Signal and other publications with more than 400 local conservatives. I try to include, by way of editorial comment in brackets, bill numbers and titles for any legislation being discussed.

This allows me to point my readers to the actual documents, sponsors, and current status of the bills so they can pursue their own studies and know of what they speak when they discuss bills or issues with their legislators.



It would be extremely helpful to me, and others, if The Daily Signal’s writers consistently would include that information in articles, particularly as they, no doubt, already have it for their own research purposes.

If you want readers to take action, you need to give us more than a script or broad commentary. Bill names and numbers would be a helpful start.—Kathy Klumpp, Adrian, Mich.

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Hi, guys. I enjoy the podcast very much. I think the strongest part of the program are the interviews with authors and experts.

My least favorite part is when the hosts or others discuss an issue on which, while they are sincere, they don’t necessarily have an expert opinion. Examples recently would include the NBA and the “Joker” movie piece.

While I believe the topics were timely, I think they would have been better served being addressed by an expert.—Hans Johnson, Naples, Fla.

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Many of the Democrat candidates are talking about abolishing the Electoral College. Those of us who understand the reason the Electoral College works know that it gives every voting citizen a true voice in presidential elections.

As a result, it is in our best interest to take every step necessary to protect this essential part of our election process.

If we have serious questions as to why the system should be preserved, we need only turn to the 17th Amendment, which changed selection of our U.S. senators to the “popular vote” process rather than appointment by the legislators of the individual states.

This now allows senators to participate in the largess created by pandering to the voters with lies and promises in order to increase their individual and collective power.

I would like to see an article by one of your reporters evaluating the effort to eliminate the Electoral College and the damage done to the nation through enactment of the 17th Amendment.—Dennis Komes, Alamo, Texas

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Let me begin by saying that I read newspapers, journals, books, etc., on the internet day after day. And I do enjoy reading some of The Daily Signal’s articles virtually every day. They’re good.

I have a suggestion about the design of your website that I hope you will seriously consider. I often decide to ignore the link that offers to “show more” articles. This may seem ridiculous, but it causes me to avoid reading more.

I would encourage you to simply allow your readers to be able to quickly and easily slide down all your articles without interruption. I asked a few friends how they felt about this and they too agreed with me. And I thought I was the only nut case.

Lastly, as a retired businessman whose success depended upon listening to clients and such, I learned early on to pay attention to them and take their observations and even their criticisms seriously.—Jim McCabe

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Why is The Heritage Foundation not commenting on President Trump’s decision to abandon the Kurdish people to the Turks?

The Daily Signal talks about many less important things than the lives of tens of thousands of our Kurdish friends in northeast Syria. Now abandoned and left to be murdered, tortured, and raped. Why are you silent?

I am a Christian who is greatly saddened by this heartless betrayal. If the president does this, it will hurt his reelection chances. He can be seen either as an accessory to the Kurds’ murders or a great hero on a white horse who saves tens of thousands of women and children.—Charles Ragsdale

Editor’s note: We hope you read this commentary on the Kurds and Turkey by James Phillips, Heritage’s Middle East expert.

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Medicaid does not sufficiently fund nursing homes that care for the loved ones of all, regardless of race or color. Too much money is going to illegal aliens who have invaded America. The brains at The Heritage Foundation should speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves.—Edward Kampermann

How Are We Doing?

Dear Daily Signal: The Daily Signal presents timely, in-depth news coverage in the format that was so valuable in the best of journalism when the paper thumped against our doors years ago.

Using the immediacy of current technology, the Signal maintains our tradition of true journalism. The only thing missing is the thump at the door.—Deborah Caserotti

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We are so bombarded with information in today’s media. We have to decide what is the truth on top of being bombarded.

Thank you for being a dependable news source for me. I do not tolerate news manipulation. Your good writers report the information without a manipulative tone.—Stuart Schmidt

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You are terrific. I neglected to send Heritage Foundation President Kay Coles James a thumbs-up for the good interview on C-SPAN. I love to hear a person’s history. Sincerely grateful, and your No. 1 cheerleader.—LaRena Davis

Although I can’t give monetarily, I’m supporting The Daily Signal in thought and prayer. Keep on keeping on! Thank you for your honest reporting.—Mary Weidner

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You are doing great. Just keep it up. The more the better!—Dave Dick

I really enjoy your work. Thank you.—Leo Jablonski

Some especially well-written articles today. Thanks for the thought-provoking journalism.—Deborah Caserotti