Schools aren't political forums; speech should have been at night

Editor:

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After spending a long Labor day weekend at the beach, I came home refreshed, relaxed and ready to face the busy week ahead.

Unfortunately, then I read The News-Times' editorial regarding the president speaking to school students. ("Recall that respect the President thing?" Sept. 6). I consider myself an "otherwise sane parent," and the words "propaganda" and "indoctrination" were not words I affixed to this speech.

It is very simple as far as I am concerned. Our schools are not political forums. It doesn't matter to me who is sitting in the oval office. This speech should have been broadcast in the evening, when families could sit down and view it together, and we parents could then answer all of our children's questions. I applaud Columbia County for not airing the speech and encouraging parents and children to watch it at home.

I am sure that there are many parents out there who disagree with me on this, and that is their right. I have been a parent volunteer in the Columbia County school system for almost a decade and I adore all of my children's teachers. The teachers in this county are the most giving men and women I have ever met.

But the fact remains that we are their parents and we are the ones to educate them about morals and values. We are the ones to inspire our children to study hard, stay in school and to respect their teachers. We are the ones who talk to our children about how to treat others, and about what they can achieve as long as they further their education.

And guess what? In our home, we teach our children to respect the president even though they know we do not agree with him. To insinuate that parents like me, and many others, are "hysterical," do not "respect the president" and are all caught up in the "Internet-whipped frenzy" is highly insulting!

Sheila Pedraza

Martinez