Teaching history
I finished reading the great May 9 article “How High School Students Saved Part of US History” and felt a little happier. While the concentration camp in Granada, Colorado, is a tragic stain on US history, the young men and women who invested their time and energy in preserving and documenting this place must be commended. As the writer notes, they were inspired by the idealist teacher John Hopper.
We lived in Pueblo, Colorado, for over a year, in the early 1990s, before Mr. Hopper arrived in Granada. I had no idea this “holy space” was just a short drive east of my house. Thankfully, Mr. Huber realized the historical significance of the Amash camp and decided to involve his students in its protection.
Please forgive me for bringing a bit of politics into the discussion. The Florida legislature recently passed the Individual Liberty Act, which prohibits teachers from providing instruction that is considered discriminatory by causing “distress” to a student. If we are not disturbed at times by US history, including the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II, America is likely to repeat these mistakes in the future.
Rusty Wyrick
Givesano, Italy
Darb hosts
When the epidemic started two and a half years ago, I stopped walking in my mall and went for walks in the woods, and I’ve been doing it a few times a week since then.
There were often many fallen trees across the walkways, so I started carrying high quality hand saws that would go through the big oaks with ease. Sometimes there are large trees 25 to 30 inches in diameter across the walkways. Hikers with families, with strollers and cyclists – all express their appreciation for this work. If the driveway is underwater or runs through a swampy area, I’ll collect dead straight poles and place them all over the area, then go to the local lumber yard and buy two foot boards and nail them to the poles to make a bridge.
People really enjoy these bridges. This activity has blessed others, and it has blessed me a lot. Those described in the June 27 article “Meet the Appalachian Trail Conservation Volunteers” deserve praise for their selfless actions.
John A. Newsom
Birmingham, Mississippi
Who decides how to plant?
In the June 6 cover story, “China’s New Supply Warehouse,” the Chinese government proposed setting up giant pig farms in Argentina’s Chaco region to add value to the local economy. However, the application of “value added” to such operations belies its destructive aspects. The article notes that China lost half of its pig stock due to the 2018-2019 swine fever outbreak.
In the native state of Iowa, an outbreak of bird flu slaughtered thousands of chickens and turkeys. The stench from pig farms that undermines the beauty of the area is another symptom of intersecting environmental problems. The methane gas emitted by intensive farming contributes to the heating of the planet. The soil is degraded by the runoff of animal waste, and the land is cleared to accommodate livestock. No wonder, then, that China wants to export pork production as far from home as possible. Many of us here probably prefer the same thing.
Megafarms are often synonymous with monoculture. When a few powerful nations or investors decide where, when, and how to grow food, subsistence farmers and indigenous peoples, such as the Qom people in Argentina, are historically affected.
Colin McGovern
Englewood, Colorado