To the Editor:

Re “Artist and Faculty Spar Over Murals of Slavery” (entrance web page, Feb. 22):

The choice to cowl these murals is completely outrageous. One doesn’t be taught from the previous by overlaying it over. You be taught by learning, and that’s what an academic establishment ought to present. You don’t erase, or cowl over, the previous as a result of it’s disagreeable or disturbing.

After all it’s, and continues to be, disturbing, however once you actually come nose to nose with it as these murals make potential, you then should take into account what that discomfort means when it comes to each our historical past as a nation and our legal guidelines and actions immediately.

The varsity ought to take down the panels, expose the murals and their historical past as soon as once more and supply context and the chance for dialogue.

Elaine Hirschl Ellis
New York
The author is the president of Arts and Crafts Excursions, which hosts journeys about Nineteenth- and Twentieth-century artwork and structure.

To the Editor:

The quote from a regulation pupil who was distressed by a visible depiction of slavery by a white artist — “The artist was depicting historical past, but it surely’s not his historical past to depict” — is most annoying. The argument will not be whether or not the inventive deserves of the mural must be thought of? Or that the temper of the piece could also be too harsh for a pupil heart?

Those that assume censoring painters or different artists by limiting their inventive themes in line with their race or ethnic identification are closed-minded, and can erode free inventive expression.

Steve Cohen
New York

To the Editor:

The various reactions to the murals within the article may be attributed to a debate over the intervals that influenced the artist’s portray type.

The intent of the college and the artist to symbolize the state’s position in serving to slaves escape through the Underground Railroad was admirable. But the figurative type nonetheless harkens again to the comedically formulaic and stereotypical blackened ones of minstrels’ stage leisure prevalent within the U.S. within the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries.

The spirit of mockery seen in essentially the most well-known minstrel, Jim Crow, persists immediately within the type of white supremacy, voter restriction and inequity. That type’s historical past wouldn’t be misplaced on many viewers.

A dialogue hosted by the college’s Nationwide Middle for Restorative Justice about this difficulty might be a strong studying device for us all.

Theresa McNichol
Cranbury, N.J.
The author is an artwork historian.

Corporal Punishment in Faculties

To the Editor:

Re “Payments Push Corporal Punishment Ban in New York Personal Faculties” (information article, March 3):

I used to be shocked to learn that bodily violence towards youngsters continues to be tolerated in some New York colleges. I suffered the occasional whack from the nuns in parochial college, often for “having a contemporary mouth,” however that was a few years in the past. I believed that anachronistic apply had lengthy since ended.

I help the trouble of Assemblyman Charles Lavine and his colleagues to guard college students and convey all of our colleges into line with the progressive values of a contemporary society.

John E. Stafford
Rye, N.Y.

What We Don’t Know About Ron DeSantis

To the Editor:

Re “My Fellow Liberals Are Exaggerating the Risks of Ron DeSantis,” by Damon Linker (Opinion visitor essay, nytimes.com, Feb. 27):

Mr. Linker misses the purpose of voters’ nervousness about Florida’s governor. The concern stems not from what we find out about Ron DeSantis, however what we don’t. We all know that he shares Donald Trump’s penchant for bullying, bigotry, trolling and media manipulation.

What we have no idea is whether or not Mr. DeSantis shares Mr. Trump’s contempt for the presidential oath of workplace. Will Mr. DeSantis use the bully pulpit to undermine religion in our elections, as Mr. Trump did? Will he attempt to overturn the outcomes of a free and truthful election, as Mr. Trump did? We can’t know, as a result of Mr. DeSantis refuses to enlighten us.

Till he speaks forthrightly to those questions, voters (not simply “liberals”) have a proper to view Mr. DeSantis as extra harmful than Donald Trump.

Certainly, all Republican candidates must be anticipated to repudiate Mr. Trump’s malfeasance. Belief has been violated, and should be restored if we’re to maneuver ahead collectively once more as one nation.

Andrew Meyer
Middletown, N.J.

Assist for Caregivers

To the Editor:

Re “Funds to Bolster U.S. Chip-Making Come With Catch” (entrance web page, Feb. 28):

The Biden administration’s efforts to leverage its investments in semiconductor infrastructure to broaden little one care are laudable and far wanted, however the coverage falls wanting supporting thousands and thousands of Individuals caring for ageing or disabled family members who additionally want help to remain and succeed within the work pressure.

The 32 million working caregivers at this finish of the spectrum proceed to be overlooked of administrative and federal motion to help working households. For instance, working caregivers of older adults, individuals with disabilities and other people dwelling with critical medical situations have been excluded from the enlargement of paid go away for federal staff and from the emergency paid go away provisions of Covid response laws. Consequently, these caregivers usually tend to report unfavourable impacts at work due to caregiving obligations.

Utilizing administrative authority to assist caregivers steadiness care and work is urgently wanted given stalled efforts in Congress to go insurance policies like paid household and medical go away, inexpensive little one care, and strengthened ageing and incapacity care. However with out a complete strategy, thousands and thousands of household caregivers will proceed to be left behind.

Jason Resendez
Washington
The author is the president and C.E.O. of the Nationwide Alliance for Caregiving.

To the Editor:

Re “California Desires to Preserve (Most of) the Colorado River for Itself,” by John Fleck (Opinion visitor essay, nytimes.com, Feb. 23):

The essay doesn’t acknowledge that solely California has voluntarily supplied to considerably lower its use of Colorado River water within the close to time period below a proposal that additionally ensures that cities in Arizona, Nevada and throughout the Southwest have the water they want for his or her residents.

California’s proposal strikes a steadiness between respecting longstanding regulation and recognizing that each metropolis and farm that depends on the river should scale back its water use — exactly the sense of equity and shared sacrifice that Mr. Fleck lauds.

The six-state proposal took the presumptuous strategy of assigning the overwhelming majority of cuts on water customers that didn’t signal on: California, Native American tribes and Mexico. Ignoring current legal guidelines will seemingly land us in court docket, costing time we don’t have.

We’ve to work collectively to maintain the Colorado River system from crashing and defend all those that depend on it. We will do that by creating true consensus by collaboration — not by bashing one state or neighborhood.

J.B. Hamby
El Centro, Calif.
The author is chairman of the Colorado River Board of California and the state’s Colorado River commissioner.

Weapons and Crime

To the Editor:

Re “Chicago Displays Democratic Break up on Public Security” (entrance web page, March 2):

As Republicans look to take advantage of crime — gun violence specifically — as a marketing campaign difficulty, Democrats would do effectively to level out the G.O.P.’s unwillingness to stop unlawful weapons from spilling throughout state borders early and sometimes.

Bruce Ellerstein
New York