If you're going to be a reporter

for a newspaper, whether weekly or daily, occasionally you're going to

have to endure having your wrist slapped. Not everyone is going to agree

with everything you write and in those instances in which you make an

honest error.

Such was the case a week ago.

However in this case, my face was slapped.

In an article on one of our

Fayette County schools, I inadvertently referred to it as a elementary

school, when in fact it was a middle school.

A teacher at the school e-mailed

me that the school was "disheartened" that I misidentified its

stature. She further wrote "the students ... were annoyed and offended

to be listed in the paper as elementary students."

I'm offended that they are

offended. These are 13-year-olds who will truly be offended over matters

far more important to them than this by the time they are grandparents.

Not content with pointing out

my error to me, the teacher evidently mentioned to some of the students

that they should be offended, and they, too, sent e-mails. They contained

such phrases as, "Our school barely gets recognition as it is and

we, the students, do not appreciate you making a mockery of us so we would

like an apology and next time look over your work please."

One student insinuated that

I also owed an apology to elementary school students.

Several 13-year-olds signed,

"concerned student," not realizing that their names were already

spelled out at the top of the e-mails.

Do I apologize to the middle

school? Certainly.

Am I concerned at what this

teacher is showing students by her example and leadership? Certainly.

I can only surmise that she

is also teaching them lessons that will help them through life, and not

just ones that insinuate that they are to castigate everyone who they

feel has insulted them.

The faith that I espouse teaches

to forgive and to turn the other cheek. I have done so.