I have always been inspired by the majesty of the building, the complex history it highlights and the amazing people who work there. I am looking forward to my next visit.

“As a retired police lieutenant from the Metropolitan Police Dept. in Washington I am appalled by the breakdown in the leadership of law enforcement.”

What I will question, however, is the idea that the plausibility of our schools reopening is measured by our school board as purely the function of the burden and spread of the virus.

Del. Simon has an excellent opportunity to build off the work made in 2020 to expand access to the ballot booth, and he should use his influence to pass Majority Whip Delegate Alfonso Lopez’s bill to allow 16-year-olds to pre-register to vote.

The superintendent and school board are certainly in an unenviable position of deciding how to educate students during a pandemic, but many of the reasons for their actions do not stand up to scrutiny.

“The point is that while it argues amongst itself, the City is the epitome of white privilege, something that it actually has no intention of changing despite ‘window dressing,’ such as changing the names of schools.

Our neighboring jurisdictions have already made these changes — we should have been first.

As reasons to keep the current names, be it cost, tradition, memories, college reputation, or forgiveness of the slaveholders as men of their times, no excuse alleviates the harm done to just one student affected by systemic racism.

“What kind of message would it send for the board to ignore the democratic process and vote in favor of a name change based on the personal opinions of board members?”

“I disagree with the writer, however, on this central point: To question any U.S. citizen when he or she disparages others, characterizes them as objects or less human or less deserving of the rights and opportunities that this country’s most profound documents espouse and entitle all men and women — is the right thing to do.”