A24 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 , 2020LETTERS TO THE EDITOR[email protected]LOCAL OPINIONSJoin the debate at washingtonpost.com/local-opinionsD.C. Public Schools has made clear its intention to
rename Ward 3’s Woodrow Wilson High School. In
early October, it spelled out criteria for public nomi-
nations for a new name. The first of those criteria is
that “the individual has made a significant contribu-
tion to society.” The last is that “the individual’s given
name and surname must be used.”
While not arguing the merits of the criteria, I do
believe they unnecessarily limit potential new
names. Moreover, replacing one person’s name with
that of another will be divisive. Since DCPS is not
applying these criteria retroactively to a high school
named for its geographical location (Eastern), its
neighborhood (Anacostia) or its image (School With-
out Walls), why not allow that same latitude now? For
example, “Tenleytown High School” would be named
for a family that settled and established businesses inthe area in the 1780s. The name would highlight its
neighborhood location and is well-liked by area
residents. It was not long ago that, responding to
requests by local citizens, the Washington Metro
Area Transit Authority changed the name of the
planned “Tenley Circle” subway stop to “Tenleytown.”
A name such as Tenleytown High School would
represent continuity for a place of shared education-
al excellence. With its green-and-white-clad “Tigers”
sports teams, the newly renamed school could carry
on the pride that thousands of alumni feel for their
alma mater without current and future students
having to bear the burden of a name with a racist
history.
Hugo A. Keesing, Columbia
The writer is a 1961 graduate of
Woodrow Wilson High School.Why alumni would like the name Tenleytown High SchoolF
OR NEARLY two decades, politics in Thai-
land has been polarized between a rural-
based populist movement and an urban elite
allied with the military and monarchy. The
populists repeatedly won democratic elections, only
to be ousted by coups and questionable court
decisions. Since 2014, when a coup installed its
military leader, Prayuth Chan-ocha, as prime minis-
ter, the reactionaries have held the upper hand.
Now a new force has appeared that could shift the
balance of power. A student movement that began
months ago with protests against educational prac-
tices has gradually blossomed into a broad pro-
d emocracy movement. Thousands have marched in
Bangkok to advance three demands: that Mr. Pr-
ayuth and his government step down, that a repres-
sive constitution imposed by his regime be revised
and that government critics be allowed to speak
freely. More recently, the protesters have been
calling for reforms of the powerful monarchy,
reacting to growing abuses by the current king.Last week, the regime attempted to quash pro-
tests by declaring a state of emergency in Bangkok,
banning gatherings and deploying water cannons
against the students. Dozens of protest leaders have
been arrested. Yet over the weekend, thousands
defiantly gathered for new demonstrations. Employ-
ing tactics of the protest movement in Hong Kong,
they used secure messaging apps to arrange flash
demonstrations that police were unable to contain.
Meanwhile, unrest began spreading to areas outside
the capital, where the “red shirt” populist movement
once led by Thaksin Shinawatra remains strong.
The developments offer a ray of hope that democ-
racy in Thailand could be revived after years of
repression. Oddly, one factor on the side of the
reformers is the behavior of King Vajiralongkorn,
who replaced his beloved father in 2016 and has
alienated much of the country with his eccentric and
autocratic behavior. A notorious playboy who
spends most of his time in Germany with a large
entourage of servants, the king has sought to expandhis powers beyond his status as a constitutional
monarch, seizing control of billions of royal assets as
well as military units. Those who criticize him risk
long jail sentences under lèse-majesté laws: Two
protesters who yelled at the royal Rolls-Royce
limousine as it passed through the capital last week
have been charged with endangering the royal
family, which could mean a sentence of life in prison.
The protesters will surely persist, but they face an
uphill battle. China seems to have shown in Hong
Kong how a street protest movement can be gradual-
ly ground down, even without a Tiananmen Square-
style crackdown. In the past, a pro-democracy
movement might have looked to the United States
for help; Washington’s strong military alliance with
Thailand provides it with leverage. But, as in so
many other nations where opponents of autocracy
struggle to gain traction, the Trump administration
has been silent. No doubt Mr. Prayuth sees that as a
vote of confidence, and a green light for more
repression.Thailand’s glimmer of hopePro-democracy protesters persist despite repression, and silence from the U.S.WITH TWO weeks until Election Day, elec-
tion officials are scrambling to ensure a
safe and orderly voting process. Even with
an unprecedented number of ballots being
cast absentee, millions will vote in person, and poll
workers are critical to that running smoothly.
Even before the pandemic, election officials often
struggled to attract enough poll workers. Making
in-person voting safe and efficient during a pandemic
will require creativity and extra precautions. With
seniors at higher risk for serious complications from
the novel coronavirus and transmission rates growing
at alarming rates around the country, election officials
and advocates have devoted serious resources over the
past several months toward replenishing their ranks
of poll workers.
In a rare bit of election-related good news, these
efforts appear to have paid off in many jurisdictions.
Earlier this year, Wisconsin struggled mightily to
recruit enough poll workers. Even with assistance
from the National Guard, Milwaukee was forced to cut
the number of polling stations from 180 to five. Since
then, officials in the state have seen a wave of new
applicants. Milwaukee is on track to have 173 polling
places open. In Madison, so many people stepped
forward that officials had to cut off applications. With
the oversupply, they can give poll workers shorter
shifts and have teams on hand for rapid response if
things go wrong. While other issues could plague the
swing state on Election Day, it’s encouraging that
statewide, Wisconsin is short only about 180 poll
workers.
The view isn’t rosy everywhere — plenty of jurisdic-
tions are still looking to recruit more poll workers.
And the stakes are high — a shortage of poll workers
could force officials to close polling stations or lead to
hours-long lines that effectively disenfranchise
would-be voters who cannot afford to wait. But juris-
dictions around the country appear to be in far better
shape than many feared.Younger Americans have been particularly respon-
sive to the call to relieve traditionally older poll
workers, thanks in part to the Power the Polls cam-
paign, a collaboration of nonprofits and businesses
whose dedicated efforts have been amplified by a
number of celebrities. Hopefully, this influx will mean
a more sustainable workforce for decades to come.
Those who are able should still consider applying to
work the polls if their local board of election is still
hiring. A surplus is preferable since not everyone who
applies will complete their training, and officialsexpect even some of those who are trained to drop out
before Election Day.
There’s plenty that officials should still do to reduce
the odds of a chaotic election — notably, enacting
measures to allow ballots to be processed before
Election Day. But the fact that thousands of Americans
have stepped forward as new poll workers is a good
reminder of how impactful the cumulative efforts of
ordinary people can be during this election. Other
ways to help: Vote early if you can, and be patient for
results, which may not arrive on election night.Everyday peoplepower the pollsVolunteers have stepped up to make
the next few weeks run smoothly.ABCDEFREDERICK J. RYAN JR., Publisher and Chief Executive Officer
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1301 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 (202) 334-6000Regarding the Oct. 16 Metro article “Clock ticks on
benefits for workers hurt on job”:
I was pleased to see The Post giving attention to the
problem of D.C.’s broken public-sector workers’ com-
pensation system. The article poignantly presented
how the D.C. government is cruelly terminating the
benefits of injured workers who should be eligible for
permanent total disability.
T he public-sector workers’ compensation program
not only grants inferior rights to government employ-
ees; it also concentrates power in the hands of the
Office of Risk Management (ORM) to write the regu-
lations that govern its own conduct. ORM’s untenable
interpretation of the law governing permanent total
disability is one of many predictable abuses.
Council member Brandon T. Todd (D-Ward 4) has
introduced two bills to address this problem. One
clarifies the issue of permanent total disability. While
crucial, this is treating a symptom. The other bill
establishes full equality for the private- and public-
sector systems, seeking to prevent similar crises from
befalling injured workers in the years ahead.
B enjamin Douglas, Washington
The writer is a workers’ compensation lawyer.A just compensation packageRegarding the Oct. 15 news article “Methane hot
spots proliferate despite global economic slump,
analysts find”:
It is painfully obvious that not enough is being
done by the United States or the European Union to
reduce methane emissions. Methane has a global
warming potential 84 times that of carbon dioxide,
yet 2015 Paris agreement commitments to lower
methane emissions have fallen flat. The United
States has failed; President Trump withdrew from
the Paris agreement in 2017 and eased methane
restrictions for the United States this year.
Slightly better, the E.U. is “considering” legisla-
tion to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas,
yet there has still been no action to cut methane
emissions from agricultural sources, particularly
cattle, which are equally high. Of course, Big Oil and
Gas are satisfying perpetrators to blame and try to
regulate. However, we cannot ignore the contribu-
tion of livestock farming to climate change. Ad-
dressing this involves tackling systemic issues in
our agricultural system, but there are simple
solutions as well, such as directing financial sup-
port to farmers to provide feed additives that
suppress methane production in cows and other
ruminants.
Elizabeth Sartain, RockvilleFailing to reduce methane emissionsThe Oct. 16 news article “As Peace Corps turns
60 during pandemic, volunteers face a murky future”
rightly focused on the agency’s uncertain future as it
reaches its 60th anniversary. It’s also worth noting
the Peace Corps’ remarkable but often unacknowl-
edged accomplishment: the enrichment of American
society.
The nearly quarter-million volunteers who have
served overseas have indeed made great contribu-
tions to the communities in which they worked, and
they have given those communities a chance to see
some of the best the United States has to offer:
individuals with a caring and generous spirit. But
they have also brought back to this country
knowledge of the people, culture, customs and
language of their host countries — a cross-cultural
awareness and understanding that helps to balance
some of the mindless xenophobia we are experienc-
ing today.
Bill Wanlund, Falls ChurchReviving the Peace CorpsRegarding Dana Milbank’s Oct. 14 Wednesday
Opinion commentary, “The easy questions Barrett
flubbed”:
“Originalism” is the belief that the Constitution
should be interpreted in the same way as at the time
of its ratification, not from a modern perspective. In
the second day of her confirmation hearings, Judge
Amy Coney Barrett said she supports originalism. If
this were true, Judge Barrett would have no job. The
Framers wrote it from a patriarchal perspective.
They didn’t include women in the outlining of
rights. Women couldn’t vote, let alone hold any sort
of office or power. The whole concept of her
promoting originalism is reminiscent of President
Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. They
both enforce the idea that America was great only
before amendments were added and additional
rights granted. This makes many Americans, in-
cluding myself, fearful for both the state of the
country and my own rights.
Frances McPherson, Washington‘Originalism’ excludes womenIf Jack Rakove was right in his Oct. 18 Outlook
essay, “The Constitution’s framers weren’t ‘origi-
nalists,’ ” it can be only a matter of time before
Judge Amy Coney Barrett overrules D.C. v. Heller.
It is fair to remember the several factors that
were in play when the Bill of Rights was enacted.
First, delegates to the Constitutional Convention
were, essentially, elitists. With memories of the
frightening Shays’ Rebellion fresh in their minds
and the fear of “mob” rule very much a part of their
decision-making process, the idea to suddenly
empower “the people” with the right to bear arms
simply makes no sense. Delegates were, at best,
suspicious of citizens’ involvement in politics,
which is why, even today, there is no constitutional
protection of the popular vote of our presidents.
Thus, the idea of the public’s right to bear arms was
an idea that never arose nor was debated during
deliberations. In contrast, the major issue was the
protection of states against the powers and
intimidation wielded by the newly created federal
government. This is why the Second Amendment
was created: to give each state the right to
maintain a militia in defense of its own boundar-
ies. Logically, it is beyond reason that Heller
dramatically and erroneously changed the origi-
nalists’ intent and obvious meaning behind the
amendment.
More than any other Supreme Court decision,
Heller began the now-universal realization that
politics was beginning to erode the independent,
impartial and judicially oriented process of the
court.
Craig Mosby Miller, Leland, N.C.The ‘original’ Heller decisionAS A frightening new wave of coronavirus infec-
tions and hospitalizations washes over the
nation, President Trump and his team sound
like cheerleaders in a fantasy world. “The light
at the end of the tunnel is near. We are rounding the
turn,” Mr. Trump said Friday. His White House corona-
virus adviser, Scott Atlas, went even further on the
weekend with nakedly irresponsible advice that face
masks don’t work. The implication was: Don’t bother
to wear them. “People are tired of covid,” Mr. Trump
declared Monday. “People are saying, ‘Whatever, just
leave us alone.’ ”
Of course we are tired of covid. More than 8 million
Americans have been infected by the novel coronavi-
rus and at least 219,000 have died, more than in any
other country. Some number of those deaths can be
attributed to Mr. Trump’s adoption of wishful thinking
as policy. He has resisted a national testing plan and a
national public health strategy, and he continually
encourages reckless behavior and mocks prudence.
The result is more unemployment, more illness, more
misery.
“ Masks work? NO,” Dr. Atlas wrote, egregiously. Heis no expert in infectious disease, but he has risen in the
White House hierarchy because he is comfortable in
Mr. Trump’s make-believe world. Dr. Atlas rejects
universal mask mandates, says they are unnecessary
except in close proximity to others, frequently criticiz-
es lockdowns, insists that businesses and schools open,
and discourages expanded diagnostic testing. He pur-
sues the mirage of natural “herd immunity.” There is
no other way to read this than a strategy to let a lot of
people die. Michael Osterholm of the University of
Minnesota described it as “the most amazing combi-
nation of pixie dust and pseudoscience I’ve ever seen.”
The pandemic poses tough trade-offs: Restrictions
on people congregating, which can slow viral trans-
mission, must be weighed against the enormous costs
to education and the economy. But there can be no
honest debate based on fraudulent science and negli-
gent leadership. Masks are not perfect, but they work.
Mitigation works. Careless openings and reckless
gatherings lead to outbreaks and surging virus.
According to The Post’s reporters, Dr. Atlas is at odds
with others on the White House coronavirus task force,
including Anthony S. Fauci, director of the NationalInstitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Debo-
rah Birx, the coronavirus response coordinator. The
hostility spilled into the open Monday in Mr. Trump’s
conference call with campaign staff. “People are tired
of hearing Fauci and all these idiots,” the president
said. “He’s been here for, like, 500 years. He’s like this
wonderful sage telling us how — Fauci, if we listened to
him, we’d have 700,000 [or] 800,000 deaths.” Trump
added of Dr. Fauci: “Every time he goes on television
there’s always a bomb, but there’s a bigger bomb if you
fire him.”
Dr. Fauci has been honorably speaking out, as much
as he can. We wish Dr. Birx and the director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert
Redfield, would be as forthright in sharing unvar-
nished, data-based advice. But they are not the villains
here; undoubtedly, they are trying their best to keep
the nation on course in the face of ignorant and
heedless leadership.
Mr. Trump’s malpractice in responding to covid-19 is
by any measure a firing offense. Fortunately, Ameri-
cans have an opportunity to fire him, in voting taking
place now and culminating on Nov. 3.Retreating into a pandemic fantasy worldMr. Trump and his team deny grim reality, leaving Americans to suffer the consequences.ABCDEAN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPEREDITORIALSTOM TOLES