RESPONSE TO JAY GENTILE'S COLUMN "LIVIN' WITH UNDERDOG"

To the Editor,

I am writing in response to Jay Gentile's column "Livin' with Underdog" in
last Friday's paper. I am appalled at its content and what it represents.

We have dedicated public servants, such as police, fire, school personnel,
etc. I think your comments of "police state" and "the school district
acting like insecure parents …" is naive and irresponsible.

The school district and police department have every right and should
continue to protect all the students as well as the community. Possession
of drugs is illegal. The schools are public buildings belonging to the
entire community. Just as you are searched at the airport and other public
buildings, we all have a right to expect schools to be free from criminal
behavior. Maybe if the school district, police and parents had taken such
preventive action, we wouldn't have heard of Columbine, Paducah, Ky.,
ecstasy (Brittany) in Boulder, etc., and many lives would have been saved
and others not so tragically affected.

Most parents are very responsible and teach their children how to make
sound decisions.

However, like all communities, we have a small percentage of parents and
guardians who do not take the responsibility for trying to teach the
correct decision-making process. It doesn't matter if it is substance
abuse, use of weapons, sex, manners, etc. The guidance is often left to our
teachers, churches, police and others. The proper decision-making process
is learned with expert guidance.

Every parent in this community has a right to expect that while in school
their children are in a safe and responsible environment.

Jon M. Sypher

Estes Park