It is unfortunate that letter writer Bruce Menzel chose to refer to Kim McGahey as “Tim MacGoofy” in his comments on the Board of Education election coming Nov. 2. This country is going through a divisive time. Liberal vs. conservative, Democrat vs. Republican, independent vs. both or however you choose to label it, there is an embarrassingly sorry state of affairs nationally. The only way to resolve the issues is respectful discourse and both sides objectively working toward a solution in the middle ground.

During the Reagan presidency, Reagan would call up Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill to invite him to the White House for dinner to resolve a problem. These two men were politically very diametrically opposed. Both respected the other and worked for solutions to their current national problems. They put aside their personal/party stances and resolved issues for the good of the nation.

Name-calling and disrespect accomplishes very little other than to inflame the opposing side. Both sides are currently to blame. The Board of Education sets the goals for the entire school system and is bound to honor our history, not rewrite it. STEM curriculum is a good step in that direction. Math, science and basic reading and writing skills were responsible for the great advances made by the U.S. in the 20th century.

Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. An attempt to revise history is an effort to negate the greatness of the U.S. and tear down much of what has been accomplished. Please, let’s have respect for one another and cordial discourse. Let us be the United States we were intended to be.