Norfolk schools
Re “Norfolk weighs what to do with several aging school buildings amid declining enrollment” (July 17): Why not transform MacArthur Center mall into a new Maury High School? Utilize the existing Maury High School building for other purposes. If it’s decided to tear the existing Maury High School building down, then convert that wonderful green space into a public park for all to enjoy.
Deborah Prince, Norfolk
Carbon emissions
Re “Recent flash floods and withering heat show the importance of good planning” (Our Views, July 13): I agree with your call to “look out for one another” — and in Ellicott City, Maryland, we know that it is impossible to prepare for two 1-in-1,000-year floods in less than two years (July 2016 and May 2018).
A major factor in the frequency of these extreme weather events is climate change. A national carbon fee and dividend, enacted by Congress, is needed to shut off the carbon dioxide emissions faucet quickly and fairly. A logical plan is for a carbon fee to be placed at the point of fossil fuel extraction, and the collected fee returned monthly to all households on an equal basis — where a person is a person, no matter what they do for a living.
This helps the most vulnerable households survive and thrive economically in our energy transition. We must also “border-correct” the fee, using our tariff powers to pressure other nations, including China, to transition out of fossil fuels while defending more energy efficient U.S. industries.
Planning for the extreme consequences of climate change must include a transition out of fossil fuel use. If we refuse to mitigate the chief cause of climate change with rapid energy transition to low-carbon-emitting sources, our efforts to deal with the consequences will be a recurring nightmare that is beyond looking out for one another. If we really want to look out for each other, we need to discuss core policies such as carbon fee and dividend.
Sabrina S. Fu, Ellicott City, Maryland
Women’s sports
Until recently, there were either no women’s athletic opportunities or else girls had to fight to be included begrudgingly on boys’ teams. Women have come a long way in developing girls’ sports, encouraging participation, and striving for commensurate pay and recognition. Title IX did wonders toward providing opportunities for women’s athletics. Girls can now get college scholarships and compete on numerous professional teams.
Lately, transgender individuals have begun competing in women’s sports, which has understandably led to a backlash of protests from female athletes. The problem is these biologic men generally have larger physiques and years of muscle enhancing effects of testosterone giving them a decided advantage over their biologic female counterparts.
Witness Mary Gregory shatter weightlifting records, and so on. Although their numbers are small, their effect is devastating. Some female athletes are now retiring as they cannot hope to compete.
There have for many years been numerous girls or women playing in men’s leagues, such as little league baseball, softball, football (usually as a placekicker), soccer, wrestling and other sports, especially when legitimate women’s opportunities didn’t exist. Instead of engaging and overpowering smaller women, why can’t a transgender woman compete in the men’s league as a woman? If exceptional girls can play in the boys’ leagues, then why can’t biological males continue to play in the boys’ league similar to biological females who elect to be included in those leagues. Certainly, that is a better fit. Why do they have to invade and disrupt woman’s sports?
Dr. Sheldon Fineman, Virginia Beach
