THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 28, 1995 TAG: 9512280003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 29 lines
``School district apologizes for gagging student'' (news, Dec. 17) leaves me wondering if the American Civil Liberties Union does do more harm than good at times.
Freedom of speech is a right given to all Americans, and Internet pages are the latest means of exercising this right; however, it seems to me that where the student fell short was in the ability to cope with the consequences. I fear that with what I'm sure the American Civil Liberties Union believed was the ``save of the day,'' this young man did not learn the lesson to be had.
The American Civil Liberties Union should have ``butted out.'' The student's parents should have told him that if he feels strongly enough to speak out on an issue, he must be strong enough to accept the consequences. Perhaps this approach would have made a much larger impact on the boy's future and given him a solid step into maturity.
MELINDA HIGHTOWER
Virginia Beach, Dec. 19, 1995 by CNB