ACCEPTING CONSEQUENCES BUILDS CHARACTER

To the editor:

The Tustin School Board president's comments regarding the
inflexibility of zero tolerance rules disappointed me. She indicated
she wanted to be able to "weigh mitigating factors such as telling the
truth." She picked a poor example to make her case.

When we question our children about a possible misdeed, we expect a
truthful answer. If they made a bad choice, there will be a
consequence. If we find out they lied about the situation, there will
be two consequences - one for the mistake and one for lying.

Honesty is not a pawn to be brokered in the hopes of leniency. Being
honest about our mistakes and accepting the consequences are a mark of
character. One of the greatest lessons I can teach my children is that
integrity is its own regard, or it's not integrity at all.

MARLYS G. STAPELBROEK
North Tustin