Happy to Leave Gilroy for Better Schools North
Happy to Leave Gilroy for Better Schools North
Dear Editor,
One of my biggest push factors for moving away from Gilroy this year was the schools in Gilroy. My son scored 98 percent on a district administered test to identify GATE Students. My son has needs different from his peers and his needs were not met. My son is active and has trouble staying focused.
Part of the problem at my school was that my son was not permitted to run on the blacktop and then benched for running which exacerbated his inability to sit still in the classroom. I was told my son wouldn’t be considered for the GATE program and not given a detailed explanation.
We shopped around for schools as part of our house hunt and found a school district in Washington state that was doing outstanding overall. We are so happy with how the change in environment affects our son. He is able to run at recess and is offered a cross country program that he participates in at school. He is very proud to wear his school jersey.
His overall attitude about learning is better because he is more settled. He has opportunities to participate in social studies, art, science and sports at school in addition to reading, writing and math and that has made all the difference to my attitude and his.
Happy to become a Washingtonian …
Rachel Oberstadt, former Gilroyan
On Pit Bulls: ‘Want to Ban a Breed? Ban Humans’
Dear Editor,
As a confirmed “cat person” and pit bull owner, I must take exception to the silly story you wrote about the “dangerous” dog in Gilroy.
First, dogs chase (and will in many instances) kill cats. Nature.
Second, the dog was off-leash. Big no-no. ANY dog that has not been trained in exceptional voice command training is a hazard to himself and to others.
Third, pits in particular, are not human aggressive by NATURE.
A child would be far more endangered by a cocker spaniel or a rotty or any dog that is bred for “guard duty,” which is not what a pit bull would excel in.
Want to ban a bred? Ban humans.
Olivia Destandau, Gilroy
If Only We All Listened to the ‘Sage Advice’ of Dr. Laura
Dear Editor,
This is intended for Mrs. Walker. (I’m assuming the Mrs. because that’s how Dr. Laura would want to be addressed.)
As someone who grew up in Gilroy and still has many family members and friends in town, I just wanted to extend a thank you for making sure that there are children who are raised and educated to become narrow minded individuals outside of Texas, my current residence.
I’m glad a woman with a degree in physiology, not psychology, is able to give you great guidance on the human condition. I’m sure your children will all become productive members of a fine discriminatory society that knows who to hate and who to discriminate against. If I may quote Dr. Laura from the Newshour with Jim Lehrer on June 15, 2000: “Of course a society should discriminate. Of course it should.” On Nov. 17, 2003 on her radio show, she said, “I am so sick and tired of all the Arab-American groups whining and complaining about some kind of treatment … What culture and what religion were all the murderers of 9/11? They murdered us.”
You are absolutely right – we should listen to the sage advice of Dr. Laura and perhaps act on her views of society. If we can discriminate against the wrong people, and keep them out of society, then we will all live in a better place.
Michael T. Koch, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Texas A&M University
