I have read and reread Faye Bush's comment, "We believe Dr. Ballowe was terminated not because the school district faced a possible deficit of $6.5 million, but because of his success in working with teachers and administrators to improve the academic performance of minority students." I can't, for the life of me, understand what she is talking about.

If she is implying that the white members of the school board are trying to keep black students from achieving academic success, then her comments come off as offensive and inflammatory. I would be interested in knowing what evidence she drew upon to come up with this accusation.

If she is saying that the school board is trying to keep all minority students from achieving success, then these comments appear ludicrous and completely illogical. The Times stated that minority students make up roughly 80 percent of the system's students. Why would the school board members or any other member of the community want the majority of its students to fail?

Some clarification would be appreciated.

Blair Hickerson
Gainesville

Nuclear accidents rare, but effect is disastrous
I have become an avid reader online of Joan King's columns from Melbourne, Australia. I am so pleased to see that she is continuing to raise concern about the threat posed by nuclear weapons.

In the industry I work in, they classify accidents in terms of high frequency, low-consequence events (like when you trip and sprain your ankle) and low frequency, high-consequence events (that's like when you accidently blow the plant up).

Well, they don't come any higher consequence than a nuclear disaster, or worse, a nuclear attack. Because they are such low frequency events, we become far too complacent.

Thank you so much, Joan, for reminding us of what's really at stake here.

Leonard McDonnell
Victoria, Australia