As a resident of Nederland as well as a business owner and a parent with children and grandchildren in Nederland, I commend the school board, the teachers the administrators, and the students for their work in studying the aspects of using school uniforms and their actions regarding implementing the use of such uniforms for the 2008-09 school year.
There are potential benefits as well as problems with the use of school uniforms. Some of the benefits are: Preventing gang colors, decreasing violence and theft because of clothing and shoes, instilling discipline, reducing need for teachers to be clothing police, reducing distractions, instilling a sense of belonging, and helping schools recognize those who do not belong on campus. Some of the potential problems are: Uniforms may violate freedom of expression or individuality, cost, and concern that it might infringe on religious freedoms.
Regardless of whether you are for our against the use of uniforms, our school board had a hard decision to make concerning the safety of our children especially with the growth that is happening in NISD and the potential violence that might come with that growth. You might say that Nederland is a low risk school and we don't have to worry about violence, but so was Columbine, so was the Amish community, and so were the school shootings in Wisconsin. We can never completely stop violence in our schools but we can work together to help stop the problem. Implementing a standardized school uniform is one way to help alleviate the problem before it gets started. We should stand behind the decision that our school board has made for the safety and security of our children and grandchildren.
Kenneth S. Young Jr.
Nederland
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Should Obama get credit or blame?
In a long Saturday Nov. 12 feature column, the writer suggested that President Obama "could only take credit or blame for those things that are the result of his ideas." He then listed twelve items for consideration in making that assessment. An only slightly edited version of those twelve items will make them more useful for that purpose and that version follows. (1) President Obama inherited Bush's Great Recession....which had actually been created, not by Bush, but by a failed seventy year experiment in socialism. (2) He stabilized the banking system....using borrowed money. (3) He extended unemployment benefits....using borrowed money. (4) He reduced taxes....using borrowed money. (5) He signed a health-care law....funded by borrowed money. (6) A nuclear arms treaty was signed with the Soviet Union....which had been defeated by Ronald Reagan twenty years ago. (7) Job loss steadily decreased and eventually has resulted in job gains....among government workers and funded by borrowed money. (8) Obama saved the three American auto companies....using borrowed money. (9) He passed a stimulus plan....using borrowed money. (10) Several Al Qaeda leaders were killed....by our remarkable military teams trained during the Bush Administration. (11) The President is trying to solve the nation's short and long-term economic problems....using borrowed money. (12) President Obama has been willing to compromise....in order to raise taxes or borrow more money.
Based on the writer's list, does President Obama deserve credit or blame?
Ramon Hill
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