Letter: In defense of high school students
Dear editor,
– I have spent this day joyfully handing out checks to students who won monetary prizes for voluntarily submitting essays in a contest run by a local community service organization. The overall quality of the submissions was such that 17 different students earned points from the judges. Opinions of the judges were diverse, as it was difficult to choose one essay over another. I share this information because I want the community to know that these kids are hard-working, intelligent, and thoughtful. Yes, some of them wear pajamas to school. Yes, some of them wear weird make-up. Yes, some of them have multiple piercings. But I remember my time in school when the girls wore white lipstick, string straight hair and had to kneel on the ground so the administrator could measure how far above the knee their skirts were. Somehow, the vast majority of those kids turned out okay, despite all that.
I would like to assure the public that the kids I come into contact with at the high school are by and large terrific people! They hold the door for me and offer assistance to me without my asking for it. They volunteer their time in community service and in service to their school and their fellow students. They’re good kids!
I hope adults will remember that they were once kids, too, and that they did things that shocked their parents and communiity members, too. It has been the way with teenagers for time immemorial. But they are still good kids with dreams and ambitions. It is my honest pleasure to spend time with them each week. I truly believe if more people in the community spent time with these students, they would have the same opinion of them as I do. I think a lot of people in our community are pressing their noses against the windows, not really knowing what’s going on inside and making judgments about these students without knowing them. They truly are good kids!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to vent. It has been difficult and painful to sit by and watch these students being disparaged unfairly.
Linda Midkiff
Paso Robles
Editor’s note: Opinion pieces and letters to the editor are the personal opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Paso Robles Daily News or its staff. We welcome letters from local residents regarding relevant local topics. To submit one, click here.
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