Critical mass not difficult to achieve

Dear Editor,

In the 1990s, I stumbled across the statement below. In our country today, it seems to fit now more than ever.

“‘Critical mass’ is not that difficult to achieve. It is not nearly as high a number as most people think. It takes a very small percentage of the whole to form sufficient mass to affect the whole.

“Critical mass is not one more than half. It is not 25 or 30 percent. It is not even 10 percent. Critical mass can be achieved with less than 5 percent of the whole moving in any one direction.

“Put another way, it takes only one domino to make the rest of the dominoes fall.”

Joe Black

Pickens

Reducing, reusing and recycling

Dear Editor,

Sorry to hear Easley is ending curbside recycling (Courier, June 10). As gas prices go down, reusing consumer content is less profitable.

Pickens County drives our trash to Homer, Ga., costing us tax dollars (gasoline, driver, dump fee). We can all help by reducing our trash output.

I have reduced by buying food in bulk (less packaging), composting food scraps, re-using bags for lunches or as trash bags, using reusable produce bags and wrapping gifts in useful items like tea towels. When I need a new container, instead of buying Rubbermaid, I consider food packaging. Glass jars go so well from the freezer to the microwave to the table.

As government budgets are stressed, we all need to pitch in to reduce government expenses. One way we can help is to reduce the amount of trash we’re driving by 9-wheeler to Georgia. When you shop this week, think about ways to reduce. And while you’re in the kitchen, think of ways to re-use.

Eunice Lehmacher, LISW-CP

Clemson

Funding for county music programs

Dear Editor,

Some music programs are getting more funding than others at Pickens County schools.

At just about any Pickens County school, the band program has a bigger class than all of the other music classes, and a lot more funding, because they get a lot more recognition than the other classes.

I know of some other programs that can be just as good. Because of less funding in these other classes, they do not get as much attention. I feel that if we had a little more funding in the other music programs, we could have a lot more success rates and a lot more students who would be interested in the other programs, such as chorus and theatre.

Some people may not like band, but the music programs that they enjoy are most of the time clubs or very small classes. If there was more funding for these classes other than band and strings, they could have a better chance to prove themselves to be just as good as the most funded class.

Chayton Eugene Wilson

Boy Scout Troop 51

Pickens