Monroe County deserves better representatives
The June 12 City Council resolution on “Gender Affirming Health Care” was always destined to pass unanimously. Person after person spoke in favor of the resolution, with both City Clerk Nicole Bolden and Monroe County Councilmember Jennifer Crossley speaking publicly in support of the resolution. Exactly one person spoke out against the resolution, out of love and concern for people with gender confusion.
In response, Bolden and Crossley turned their backs on her. Both have proven themselves unfit for office with this childish behavior. If you can’t even stand to respectfully listen to someone who has been a member of this community for decades and respectfully voice her opinion on issues before the City Council, you are not qualified to serve the people of Bloomington and Monroe County.
Crossley, as a member of the county council, has a duty to listen to all points of view. She has abandoned that duty. The people of Monroe County deserve better.
The people of Monroe County deserve representatives who will respectfully listen to their constituents as we exercise our First Amendment rights to hold government accountable to resolve grievances. This principle applies even when people say things that contradict the policies of those elected officials. Voters should turn their backs on Jennifer Crossley in 2026 and put someone on the County Council who respects the views of all Monroe County voters.
Scott Tibbs, Bloomington
Please submit comments on changes to high school diplomas soon
As usual, all eyes must be on the state as more radical changes are made to K-12 education. Indiana is reinventing the high school diploma, even though it was only six years ago that it was re-issued. This new diploma applies to students in eighth grade and younger.
As it stands now, the degree requires a lot more work from parents and guidance counselors (there is a severe shortage of guidance counselors) to make sure that students are checking off a lot of boxes, both in and out of school. And yet, even if the student checks off all of these new boxes, he or she may walk away with a degree that will not get them into college here in Indiana or anywhere else.
While college may not be for everyone, it is a path that should not be ignored. The same goes for a well-rounded education. This new degree does not require foreign languages, more than one science, world history, or art. Instead, there is a strong emphasis on job readiness and internships.
I don’t know how many of you are willing to bring a 15 year old intern into your company, let alone pay for the insurance. There has to be a balance that gives all students access to a degree. Comments need to be made. The next hearing with the State Board of Education is July 17th. Submit comments online at https://form.jotform.com/240674433441049.
Keri Miksza, Bloomington
This article originally appeared in The Herald-Times: Letters: Listening to voters, changes in high school diplomas
