Readers' views: Carson's Israel vote, support for IU's Allen and defense of SROs

Here's what community members had to say in four recent letters to the editor we received. Submit your own thoughts here.

Andre Carson should have voted 'yay' in support of Israel, condemning Hamas

Soon after the House of Representatives starting working again, they passed a house resolution which condemned the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel and affirmed our support of Israel. Ninety-six percent of the representatives supported this resolution, but U.S. Rep. Andre Carson was one of the 2% who opposed it. 

Carson must have some reason for not supporting this bipartisan resolution, but he can support innocent Palestinians without placating the terrorist organization that rules over them. By not voting along with the 92% of Democrats who supported this resolution, Carson has supported the most radical members of the Democratic party. Carson is my representative, but he is not representing me nor the majority of Indianapolis residents who want to condemn the heinous actions of Hamas. He might not like some of the words in this resolution, but he can state those objections and vote yes instead of giving the world the impression that Indianapolis does not condemn the terrorists' actions.

John Moor

Indianapolis

Comparing Medicare plans can be hard. Dr. Val Slayton made it easier

Kudos to IndyStar for publishing Dr. Val Slayton's thoughtful op-ed about Medicare plans and options. As a 40-year nursing facility administrator, I can attest to dramatic differences in covered benefits particularly in "Advantage" plans. While premiums may be lower, I have seen little "advantage" to utilizing these plans if long-term recovery is needed. Insurers who offer such plans are in the business of rationing care. Traditional Medicare and related co-insurance plans allow much greater autonomy by providers under established compliance guidelines.

Managed care programs seem fine for robust seniors with little expectation of needing benefits. Otherwise, traditional Medicare by far allows for the best, most comprehensive coverage.

Timothy Yale

Indianapolis

IU football has been disappointing but firing Coach Tom Allen not the answer

I happen to be a bit of an anachronism in the Hoosier state. As a native Hoosier, I am a basketball fan, but my favorite sport is football. Every fall, I watch a lot of Big Ten football games.

As an alum, I always follow IU football and, truth be told, IU football fans seldom have reason to celebrate a winning season. However, diehard fans never abandon their team.

I have recently heard the grumbling from some fans calling for Coach Tom Allen’s job and want to take this opportunity to encourage him and his team to persevere.

The loss to Penn State was disappointing, but do not despair. Coach Allen is a great motivator and his teams give their all in every game. For that commitment and sacrifice I salute the coach and the team. Never say die.

David Mack

Valparaiso

School Resource Officers protect kids. Thankfully, we’re here to stay.

Responding to an SRO article that was littered with misconceptions and easily refutedinformation is frustrating when Google is available. It did, however, compel me to consider howthe role of an SRO is misunderstood. The specialized training required to comprehensively fulfillthis role is nothing to balk at and is even legislatively required in Indiana. As president of theIndiana SRO Association (INSROA), I’m incredibly proud to divert the attention to the SROs thatprotect our most precious demographic: Our kids.

In 2021, the National Threat Assessment Center published, “Averting Targeted School Violence -- A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Plots Against Schools.” One of the key findings was thatSchool Resource Officers play an important role in school violence prevention.

As trained SROs, we know that this job is not for everyone -- no more than everyone is qualifiedto be the sniper on the SWAT Team. SROs in the school culture allow for appropriate, consistentand fair responses to situations that arise. SROs build diversion programs, educate, helpwith/create safety plans and other interventions to support a safe school environment. SROs arepositioned to follow-up, mentor and become a protective factor in a child’s resilience.

There is no guise or scandal. We are not body slamming children. We do not get a free toasterwhen we must make an arrest. Instead, we are a community of officers that are for kids. Moreoften than not, the job of an SRO requires compassion and a listening ear more than it does abadge and a gun. But, should the safety of our youth be compromised, we WILL respondswiftly.

As SROs, we work alongside educators: Same highway, different lanes.Julie Q Smith