Letters to the Editor
Favors public school uniforms
Editor: The dress code at the public school is ridiculous. No blue, red or tops below the armpits? Exactly who measures the tops? Does the dress code truly help alleviate gang identifications? Do you not think that these kids are smart enough to figure out another way to identify each other? You cannot write the rules fast enough to beat this, so perhaps it is time for a new approach.
Sonoma Valley should adopt a school uniform, district wide, K-12. Let’s talk about it and open a debate. Uniforms would be much more affordable for low income families, stop teasing if kids can’t afford or don’t have the most trendy clothes/shoes and allow teachers to focus on teaching rather than monitoring rules that can never be fully enforced.
I know that the first letter in response will talk about how uniforms will suppress individuality and creativity. However, it is the exact opposite. Kids in uniform have to rely on their true individuality, personality and conversational skills to stand out, not their clothing or style. Aren’t those life skills that we value and want to teach our kids?
Jeannette Mammini
El Verano
More on school dress code
Editor: Amen to Samantha Chapin’s Letter to the Editor (9/4/08)!
Banning blue and red colors is not the answer and I hope this decision is reversed.
Megan Clouse
Sonoma
Distracting the electorate
Editor: Karl Rove, currently employed by Fox News, continues to pull the strings for the Warpublican Party. This time he is pleased to present the ticket of … ta da … John Wayne and Annie Oakley!
GOP cynicism and hypocrisy know no bounds. They tried in 2004 to discredit John Kerry’s Vietnam service and injuries, but now protest any attacks on John McCain because he was (as mentioned every five minutes) a POW. They cautioned Hillary Clinton not to “hide behind her apron strings,” but protest any criticism of Sarah Palin as being sexist.
Most ludicrous of all, they have continually mocked Barack Obama’s relative lack of experience, but praise Mayor/Gov. Palin’s two years as head of the mighty Alaska National Guard (right across the Bering Straight from Russia, you know) as sufficient to be a world leader.
Of course, this bogus campaign strategy is vintage Rove. His followers will say anything in a transparent attempt to distract the American public from the total failure of the Bush/Cheney domestic and foreign policies, which have all been consistently supported by Sen. McCain. Now, if people are NOT talking about four more years of organized deception, record deficits, collapsing economy, global warming, oil dependence and unending warfare, that would be Rove’s “Mission Accomplished.”
Richard Chadwin, MD
Sonoma
Hold off on drilling
Editor: I am afraid those wanting to do more drilling in Alaska and off the coast of the U.S. are being shortsighted. Many experts say that the world will run out of oil in 50 to 70 years. Once the world oil supplies start to dwindle, wouldn’t it be best for the U.S. to not run out of oil before the rest of the world? If we use up our supply first, then we would be completely dependent on foreign oil. We should not be drilling for more oil in the U.S. at this time. We should be hoarding our oil, buying up everyone else’s first.
David Eichar
Boyes Hot Springs
