As a 1998 graduate of Sandy

Creek High School, I am appalled at the recent actions of

the Fayette Country School Board. To begin with, taking

away bookbags is preposterous.

My books easily weighed at

least five pounds apiece and I carried several at a time,

not to mention binders for each that held my notes, pens,

and pencils. My schedule was such that I did not have

time to go to my locker after each class or even after

every other class. Carrying that large amount of supplies

in my arms would have proved impossible, and I cannot

count the number of students who were in the same

predicament.

Not only that, but I often

had a lot of homework, and I needed my bookbag to carry

it. I am sure I echo the sentiments of every other

student when I say that prohibiting bookbags will not

only hinder our productivity, but will also not stop

another student from bringing a gun to school.

As for the dress code, let

me once again assure the school board that further

restricting what students can wear or even requiring

uniforms will not solve the problem of school violence.

If students want to fight over some girl or because their

opinions on race vary, they will. Forcing them to wear

uniforms will not change that.

The notion of a stricter

dress code probably came as a response to the shootings

at Columbine High School where the gunmen wore long

trenchcoats to school and used them to hide guns. You

want students to wear uniforms so they can't hide a

sawed-off shotgun in long trenchcoats? Then you better

restrict pants with pockets, because some guns are small

enough to be hidden there, as are knives. You also better

not allow girls to wear bras because once again, a small

knife could strategically be hidden there. I hope

everyone is beginning to see how ridiculous this is

getting.

Even if the school board

wishes to change to dress code to avoid other problems

such as girls in short skirts and boys with excessively

baggy jeans, I firmly believe it is a person's right to

dress as he/she sees fit. In the 13 years I was in the

public school system, never once did I witness or hear of

someone's clothing interfering with my or anyone else's

education.

Restricting bookbags and

forcing students to wear uniforms are two more ways the

schools take away the rights of their students.

Withholding the rights of students will not solve the

problem of school violence, nor will it give them a

better education.

Problems are not solved by

creating more rules. Problems are solved by changing the

conditions around which they occur.

I was once asked who was to

blame for the shootings in Littleton, Colo. My response?

"We all are." That's right, I believe society

is to blame. We are a violent society and we create

violent children. Due to economics, both parents usually

have to work and therefore cannot spend as much time with

their children as was once possible. Sadly, often the

time they do spend with them is not quality time.

We must not also not forget

the overwhelming amount of children who grow up in single

parent homes. They too often compete for quality time.

Parents today, whether they may be married or divorced,

must spend quality time with their children from day one,

teaching them right from wrong and what is real and make

believe. Parents must also make sure their children know

they can come to them with any problems they have in

their lives.

As for the media, society

is quick to condemn the news and Hollywood for its

portrayal of violence. However, society is hypocritical.

The very same society that condemns violence flocks to

movie theaters to see the latest Arnold Schwarzenegger

movie or to the Georgia Dome to watch a wrestling match.

I wonder if anyone else has

noticed another fact about the media. Those who have

killed others in the school shootings of the past two

years were mostly outsiders seeking attention. After

their murderous actions, the media, newscasters, and talk

shows talked about it for months, giving the troubled

teens exactly what they wanted, attention.

Other troubled teens see

the attention they receive and realize they could get the

same if they perform similar actions. However, they may

want even more attention and decide to perform their

actions on an even grander scale resulting in more

deaths. The first step toward stopping violence is to

simply stop giving offenders the attention they crave.

Let's face it. Solving

school violence will not be easy, but it can be

accomplished. However, creating more rules will not do it

for too many outside factors affect the way our children

think. Society must stop endorsing violence, the media

must stop glorifying violence, and parents must play an

active role in the lives of their children.

Numerous things contribute

to the making of violent children and no single entity

can counteract those contributors. Instead, we must all

work together toward a common goal: saving our children.

Laurie Pittman

[email protected]

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