Digital paradigm shift appears to overlook needs and values of newspaper subscribers | Opinion

What about the reader?

Reading the Sunday paper on Saturday goes against the sacred traditions of newspaper devotees.

The State and other newspapers now send their editions through the U.S. Postal Service rather than the time-honored personal delivery.

When did newspapers, which depend on readership, stop focusing on the reader?

We are told to read the news and articles online.

This method robs the readers of very real tactile experiences that endear the “fish wrappers” to us. Reading online never leaves little ink stains on our fingertips.

We cannot work the crossword puzzle in ink.

We can no longer neatly fold our papers and stack them for multiple uses later.

Nobody ever started a fire with an online newspaper edition.

Too many readers have no home access to online editions. These people have to travel to public libraries to read anything online.

Whatever the media publishing companies save by going totally virtual could not be worth the inconvenience and frustration it is costing their readers.

Why should anyone subscribe to multiple online newspapers when news is available for free elsewhere?

Do not tell us we must go virtual to read and submit letters to the editor.

It’s against the American way.

Elizabeth S. Jones, Columbia

Not much ‘woke’ here

Regarding your online article: “Some SC conservatives say their public schools are ‘woke,’ ” South Carolina? Really?

I’ve lived in South Carolina since 1994, and raised my kids here long enough to be familiar with South Carolina politics and schools.

There isn’t much, if anything, “woke” in South Carolina.

We are a consistently, conservative red state.

Since moving here in 1994, no Democratic presidential candidate has carried the state in the General Election. We have had only one one-term Democratic governor, one two-term Democratic superintendent of education and Republicans have controlled both houses of the state legislature.

There is simply no fertile ground for “wokism” to grow in South Carolina.

Lewis Houghtaling, Little River

Define hero

A title for one of your most recent articles on A’ja Wilson referred to her as a homegrown hero.

Homegrown? Yes.

Hero ? No.

Athletes, especially on the collegiate level, are not heroes.

Never have been, never will be unless they go out and do something like save someone from a burning car.

Nowadays, athletes are only concerned about what they can receive via NIL (which I don’t have a problem with), but they give nothing back in return to the community unless they are made to do so by the coach.

Who are our real heros?

Parents (especially single parents) who get up everyday working two jobs to provide for their kids, men and women who volunteer their time to help worthy causes, our men and women in law enforcement, military and health care.

And our teachers (I work for a local school district and am working on getting my master’s degree and teaching certificate).

These are real heroes.

Earl Pathel, Lexington

Future debt

In the months leading up to the November elections, I expect to hear Republican candidates and spokespersons use terms like “liberal budget-busters” and “tax-and-spend Democrats.” Here are some facts to remember:

(1) the last time the U.S. had a balanced federal budget was under President Bill Clinton, a Democrat;

(2) the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump in December 2017 has added a trillion dollars to our national debt with negligible effects on job-creation.

Another fact is that neither party is committed to pursuing a balanced budget.

Instead, our legislators are committed to pursuing our votes by providing us with the services we want without requiring us to pay the full cost of those services through our taxes.

I’m so sorry that our children and grandchildren will be saddled by the national debt my generation has created.

Andrew Gowan, W. Columbia