THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 26, 1996 TAG: 9602220020
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
I find it funny that there is argument supporting school uniforms. I've read that uniforms will increase grades because some of the outfits now worn by students are distracting!
As a matter of fact, I would find everyone wearing the same thing weird and distracting, thus defeating the purpose.
We are not dolls that can be dressed up any way parents or the school board feel. At a time when many teenagers are searching for their own identity, when many rebel against authority, uniforms can only add to the frustration many kids are feeling. Our clothes help define our personality. They are a part of who we are. Taking that away from us can only anger us further.
BRANDON BERRY
Virginia Beach, Feb. 17, 1996
As I watch the debate over uniforms in public schools, I am taken back to the early 1960s when I wore a uniform all day at a military high school. The experience didn't irreparably harm me, nor did it do me a lot of good.
While the total military/boarding school experience did benefit me, the uniform-wearing most certainly did not deter one cadet from showing his individualism through his attire. Each of us found some small way to adorn our uniform, or a particular way of wearing it, that made a statement about our individualism.
Of course, if we were caught while making such an adjustment, we were punished - not the whole corps of cadets, mind you, just the one who was caught.
Therein lies the difference between what I learned at an early age in military school and what the uniforms in public school will teach.
We were taught personal responsibility and accountability for our actions. The uniforming of public-school students because of hoodlums beating (and even killing) fellow students for their expensive tennis shows, or because we don't want to ``stigmatize'' less-fortunate (or perhaps more-secure) students who don't wear Nautica or Tommy Hilfiger clothes to class, teaches exactly the opposite. It conditions youth to accept the responsibility for the actions (or inaction) of others. That, in my opinion, is not a character-building lesson for our youth.
Putting uniforms on our students to combat social problems is exactly the wrong reason to do so. Teaching them that they must accept responsibility for their inappropriate behavior (and, yes, even their future) is what schools used to teach. Getting back to that basic premise would cost parents even less than uniforms - and would greatly benefit students.
A. C. BLACK
Chesapeake, Feb. 12, 1996
Regarding ``For uniforms in schools'' (letter, Feb. 12): As a 15-year-old sophomore at Kempsville High School, I feel that mandatory school uniforms would cause many more problems than they might solve. Most students, including myself, would not feel comfortable wearing a uniform that is forced on them. As for the financial aspect, most high-school students purchase their own clothing with money that they earn from their jobs. If a student's parents are not able to afford brand-name clothes, there are many part-time jobs that are available for young people.
Uniforms would not be well-received by students attending public schools. Most students will refuse to wear them, leading to many more problems and protests. The students' viewpoint should be considered before deciding this subject.
ANDREW D. HORTON
Virginia Beach, Feb. 12, 1996 by CNB