Ditching SAT is more dumbing-down of education
As part of its justification for dropping the SAT essay requirement for admission, Princeton University says it “aims to alleviate the financial hardship placed on students” (News, July 7). What a joke. Tuition, room and board at Princeton averages approximately $65,000 a year. Eliminating the SAT requirement will save applicants the $17 essay test fee. I think the real reason is to eliminate the potential for lawsuits. Recently, Asian-American applicants passed over for admission to Harvard not because of inadequate academic qualifications, but because of discrimination, filed a lawsuit to rectify racial bias. Eliminating SAT scores is simply one method universities have to eliminate potential evidence of such discriminatory practices and water down standard entrance requirements so that more “subjective” measures can be used. Walter Williams’ column, “Schools leave black students ill prepared to enter college” (Opinion, July 4), provided very disturbing statistics highlighting how so many high school students are unprepared academically for college. The explosion of “remedial courses” offered to freshmen is another indication. The SAT provides, albeit imperfectly, one measure of preparedness.
P.D. GOSSAGE, JOHNS CREEK
Gun-makers’ ‘persecution’ won’t last long
“We may have to seek legislation to make sure … that you can’t discriminate against individuals from lawful exercise of a constitutional right.” So says Larry Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (“Firearm dealers become targets,” Business, July 8). Imagine if a business told a gay couple in Colorado they couldn’t provide service to them based solely on their beliefs and lifestyle that differs greatly from their own. Or if states told women they needed to do as they were told with their bodies because churches and government know best how they should live. It all sounds completely unconstitutional! But gun fans have big money and lobbyists, and puppets like Cagle and Kemp to fight hard for them, so don’t fret. The “persecution” won’t last long.
ELAINE ELAM, MARIETTA
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