To the Editor:
Re “Here’s a Fact: We’re Routinely Asked to Use Leftist Fictions,” by John McWhorter (Opinion, nytimes.com, Nov. 19):
Mr. McWhorter, a professor of linguistics, questions why universities search physicists who’re dedicated to educating and mentoring members of underrepresented teams. As a physics professor, I’m writing to reply his query.
As proven by the American Institute of Physics’ TEAM-UP report, many teams are closely underrepresented in physics relative to white males like me, which is dangerous for physics.
First, it means science suffers from the dearth of those teams’ full vitality and expertise. Second, the efficient teamwork required by world-class science advantages from numerous groups, that are proven to supply extra inventive and better high quality work. Third, and most vital, the present state of affairs is simply not proper: All of our society ought to take part in answering humanity’s most profound questions.
Michael Blanton
New York
The author is a professor of physics at New York College.
To the Editor:
I’m a freshman in school. Crucial factor John McWhorter misses, I feel, is encapsulated in the truth that San Diego State College is not only searching for a physicist; it’s searching for an assistant physics professor. Are the standards he lists, which principally boil right down to being understanding of and interested by different cultures, essential to being a physicist? I don’t know. However I’m completely sure they’re instrumental to creating a very good professor.
I’ve seen the way in which my classmates lose curiosity in curriculum if they will’t relate to the featured authors. I’ve felt the disgrace and anger when my academics instructed me that wanting to write down about my very own identification is just too area of interest, too uninteresting.
Antiracism isn’t about changing into higher at physics. Antiracism is about ensuring the children in that classroom can study physics in any respect.
Phoebe Robinson
Middletown, Conn.
To the Editor:
John McWhorter is totally proper. I’ve all the time supported affirmative motion, though I additionally imagine that it have to be utilized with nice care, and solely in sure contexts. However I hardly ever focus on the problem, as a result of I’m anticipated to affirm my perception in two contradictory tenets: that affirmative motion is vitally vital, and that it actually doesn’t a lot have an effect on hiring and admissions choices.
William Cole
Sitges, Spain
Curbing Home Violence
To the Editor:
Re “A Tear-Streaked Face and a Scramble to Help in Maine” (entrance web page, Nov. 29):
Ellen Barry’s reporting of a case of home violence in Maine is acquainted. One in three women have skilled rape, bodily violence and/or stalking by an intimate companion of their lifetime. The numbers proceed to develop, because the techniques in place fail to stem this terror.
Tanya Neal’s final textual content earlier than leaping off the bridge was that her boyfriend was proper, “I’m no good,” and to me, that’s the core of the problem. We should make victims perceive that bodily violence just isn’t a type of love, however management, and never one thing they’ve accomplished to deserve. They should understand their worth, self-worth and what the expertise of a wholesome relationship seems like.
Efforts to take care of this situation usually are not working. We have to attain out to charitable foundations with the sources to get the suitable data out each day. With such a marketing campaign our most weak women and girls can perceive that it’s not their fault, however one thing that they’ve the ability to finish, and they don’t seem to be alone. We have to cease this shameful cycle of ache and loss. Data is energy.
Midge Coleman
Hillsdale, N.J.
Political Captives to Rich Donors
To the Editor:
Re “G.O.P. Donors Flock to Back 2 Democrats” (entrance web page, Nov. 22):
Experiences of Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema stuffing their marketing campaign coffers with donations from conservative donors is an ideal instance of the rot on the coronary heart at present’s politics — the stranglehold that big-money donors have on elected officers, Republicans and Democrats alike.
Till we excise this cash most cancers, little can be accomplished to maneuver towards a extra equitable society, or deal with challenges like local weather change. However it will require radical change, like limiting political donations to people who reside within the senator’s or consultant’s state or district. Moreover, donations needs to be restricted to an quantity per donor and per election cycle. Candidates should additionally abide by this restriction, i.e., no self-funded campaigns.
These modifications will pressure candidates to attraction to a variety of voters, as a substitute of counting on, and changing into captive of, rich donors. Sure, will probably be fought tooth and nail by the ability elite, however I worry that and not using a wholesale departure from the present system, at present’s political dysfunction might result in the lack of democracy itself.
To the Editor:
Re “Why Are There So Many Premature Births in America?,” by Jessica Grose (Opinion, nytimes.com, Nov. 20):
America has the highest rate of premature births amongst industrialized nations. Our premature-birth price is worse than some nonindustrialized nations. This reality is frankly appalling. Additionally appalling and immediately associated is the truth that we’re the one industrialized nation with out common well being care.
We can not decide to bettering our well being care outcomes with out first committing to enhance our system of offering well being care.
Lawrence A. Danto
San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
The author is a retired surgeon and a retired medical professor of surgical procedure on the College of California, Davis.
