Remembering Phil Donahue: Letters of Condolence

RIP Phil Donahue

In Phil Donahue, our nation has lost a trailblazing television icon who held up a mirror to America and united us around the toughest issues of our time (“TV legend dead,” Aug. 20).

A son of a working-class, Irish-Catholic family from Cleveland, Phil first honed his craft as a radio station assistant in university, before rising to transform television and reshape the national conversation.

He pioneered the live daytime talk show, helping change hearts and minds through honest and open dialogue.

Insatiably curious and accepting, Phil saw every guest as worthy of interest and worked to build understanding, helping us see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans.

Through his extraordinary career in TV and thousands of daily conversations, Donahue steered the national discourse and spoke to our better angels.

He will be sorely missed.

Paul Bacon,

Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Sick of arithmetic

This problem demonstrates yet another public school failure, as the new curriculum has resulted in lower test scores (“When Math Lessons Don’t Add Up,” Editorial, Aug. 19).

Instead of trying to find the holy grail of a new curriculum to solve the fledgling math outcomes, why not go back to the basics, which yielded better results?

Or if the Department of Education really cared about the students, why not find out what math curriculum is working at the charter schools that have much higher proficiency rates?

Aside from the cost of not educating these students, how much is every failed new curriculum costing the city?

This as this is far from the only one.

And why are teachers farming out their job to students?

There are questions that need to be answered.

Eileen Corr,

Brewster, Mass.

Pizzeria thuggery

The thug in question will probably be released on his own recognizance as this pizza shop worker clings to life. (“Fighting to live,” Aug. 22).

When is there going to be consequences again for outrageous behavior?

Day in day out, we get the same old story: roving miscreants feel emboldened to carry out horrific acts and be let free.

Let’s see how this plays out.

Keep electing these leftist politicians, and this is the result.

Kevin Judge,

Naples, Fla.

Phoney phones

Cell phone usage reached a point of no return, and now officials want to ban them in school in the United States and Canada (“No cells in class, eh?” Aug. 18).

It won’t work. Although US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy wants Congress to put labels on social media that warn they’re addictive, labels will do no good.

Users will see the labels and simply carry on.

I have spoken to many parents, and most of them say if I don’t let my kids use smartphones, they will fall behind their peers.

As a parent, I don’t want that. They need to be exposed to technology.

Banning will not work. Many parents and teachers are protesting this move.

Anant Nagpur,

Ottawa, Canada

Trump back in NYC

So Barron Trump announced he will be attending college in New York City, although he won’t elaborate as to which (“Barron heading to a ‘NY college,’ ” Aug. 21).

Regardless of who his father is, I wonder why Barron didn’t consider attending Trump University?

Oh right, it closed after being sued for illegal business practices.

Kreg Ramone,

Manhattan

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