Letter to the Editor:
Greetings MIHS Islander,
I took the time today to follow up on your recent publishing of “The Islander Endorses Kamala Harris.” I do not intend to attack or harm the islander in any way with my email but do hope you take this email seriously and with some thought.
I saw that in your publication notices; you state that you aim to “provide news to the MIHS student body and members of the surrounding community in a manner that accurately reflects readers’ interests” (MIHS Islander October issue, Page 2). In your article, you fail to accurately reflect the readers’ and the greater community’s interests by erasing the minority’s opinion that opposes the majority’s political interest.
I agree with the fact that Trump and Vance refuse to answer questions regarding abortion rights and restrictions, but you also have to look at the other side of this. Kamala has also refused to answer questions; as seen in the presidential debate on Sep 10th, in the opening statement from debate moderator David Muir. Harris was asked the question “When it comes to the economy, do you believe Americans are better off than they were four years ago?”
Kamala’s response to the question asked? A more than two-minute-long response about how she grew up i’m a middle class family and MORE. Kamala Did not simply reply with yes or no and The only reason President Trump did not respond to the question; is directly because of Kamala’s almost 2-minute-long response to the question.
You also mention in your article that “Trump poses a risk to abortion rights and threatens Americans by implementing a national abortion ban”. I agree that abortion rights should be protected at all costs but I don’t think this issue is as important to our students as Biden & Kamala’s biggest failure in their term as president. Failing to secure the border and allowing over 10.5 million immigrants to cross the border. And even David Muir (ABC debate host) said that “Illegal border crossings reached a record high in the Biden administration”. Showing that Kamala and Biden failed to secure the border, Posing a great risk to the safety of the American public and putting OUR future and jobs at risk. According to ABC, She even supported Decriminalizing illegal border crossings. Previous leaders failed to see the risk at the border and Trump was the first president to add additional border security and most importantly. Building the wall; Greatly increasing security at the border.
Finally, You mentioned that “guns are the leading cause of death among American children and teens”, Which turns out to be false. According to Statista.com and who.int.com, The leading causes of death amongst Children and Adolescents in the US are actually Road Traffic Injuries and Suicide.
So in conclusion, I pose this question to you: Does the MIHS Islander truly aim to provide news to the Islander community in a manner that accurately reflects readers’ interests in an accurate, fact-based, Non-biased opinion? Or Not?
Sincerely,
Matthew Strong
Sources Used:
https://mihsislander.org/9956/opinions/harris-trump-debate-inspires-cautious-optimism/
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/harris-trump-presidential-debate-transcript/story?id=113560542
https://time.com/7001817/kamala-harris-immigration/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_wall
https://www.factcheck.org/2020/12/trumps-border-wall-where-does-it-stand/
https://www.factcheck.org/2024/07/factchecking-vice-president-kamala-harris/
https://www.factcheck.org/2024/10/donald-trumps-closing-arguments/
https://www.npr.org/2024/06/28/g-s1-6953/presidential-debate-analysis-trump-biden
https://www.who.int/health-topics/adolescent-health/causes-of-adolescent-deaths#tab=tab_1
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Editorial Board Response:
According to The MIHS Islander’s Editorial Policy:
“Editorials represent the views of The MIHS Islander’s Editorial Board. Editorials are written by members of the Editorial Board, and are presented to the Board for discussion and review. The Editorial Board consists of The MIHS Islander’s Editors-in-Chief, Digital Editor, Managing Editor, Section (Features, Opinions, Sports, and A&E) Editors, Copy Editor, Design Lead, Lead Illustrator, Photography Editor, Business Manager, Social Media Manager and Editorial Board Writers.
Opinions expressed in editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the adviser, student body, administration or school district.”
With our editorial supporting Kamala Harris for President, we did not intend to represent the interests of all MIHS students, simply the majority of Editorial Board members on our staff. Our intention is certainly not to ignore minority opinions; however, we maintain the right to publish editorials that represent the opinions of more than two thirds of the Editorial Board members. As an open student forum, we value community input, particularly in cases where members of the community disagree with our opinions (please email letters to the editor to [email protected]).
According to 2019 CDC Data, “Firearms were the leading cause of death in 2019 for American children and teens ages 1-19, prematurely taking the lives of nearly 3,400 Americans — the second-highest total in twenty years — and accounting for nearly one in ten deaths in this age group”. While we quoted the Sandy Hook Promise, a gun violence prevention group, the underlying data was sourced from the CDC.
According to the CDC, in 2023 as well, firearms were the leading mechanism of death among children ages 1-19 in the US (Firearm: 4,456 deaths, Motor Vehicle Traffic: 3,891 deaths). According to provisional 2024 data from the CDC, firearms have been the second-leading mechanism of deaths among 1-19 year olds in the US thus far this year. Through October 19, 2024, firearms have caused 1,271 deaths in this age group, while non-injury related diseases have caused 6,522 deaths. Through October 19, 2024, motor vehicle traffic has been responsible for 1,061 deaths (CDC Wonder Database).
