I just received yet another letter regarding the Patriot Act, this one from a parent who chooses to remain anonymous. This is one of my favorite facets of this argument, that everyone has an opinion but only a miniscule minority is willing to go on the record with it. If these people truly believed they were right, they'd likely have no problem signing their names to these letters. But anyhow...
This person makes a number of statements, interspersed with sarcasm such as "it's a good thing to ask a question when you don't understand something" and "responsible journalism involves researching the facts before you write an editorial." The author's argument is, ironically, based not at all in fact but instead in exactly the kind of ignorance that the MAU administration has recognized as being detrimental to these students' health and welfare. Congratulations, anonymous: By writing this (and CC-ing Tim and Sue, no less) you have done more to justify their lack of faith in you than anything they could come up with on their own.
A few highlights:
"I do not feel that the MAU School Board is infringing on my rights as a parent. If they (sic) were, it wouldn't matter, I would never give up any of my rights anyway." News flash for you, anonymous: You don't have a choice in this matter, these "rights" have already been taken away from you. What you would "never give up" is, at this point, irrelevant.
"The MAU policy is benign. It does not even affect most student-athletes who always act appropriately anyway." Read those last seven words again. Keep thinking your kid would never get involved in any questionable behavior, that it's only somebody else's problem. It's almost a cliche, "Not my little angel, no sir." Again, this just shows HOW out of touch you are as a parent. It almost makes ME believe this policy is justifyable, if for no other reason than to protect your child from your own ignorance.
"It's fine if a coach resigns because of the MAU policy. I would not trust a coach who doesn't support it." Again, news flash: I have talked to at least three MAU coaches who said – off the record, of course – that they don't support this policy. One even went so far as to label it an abuse of power by a handful of administrators misrepresenting the interests of MAU as a whole. Add to that the half-dozen parents, and even members of the local law enforcement community, who have voiced agreement with my initial editorial. You've got some serious "not trusting" to do, anonymous.
"I know Kevin Quinn personally... the MAU policy did not actually have much to do with his decision. It was just an excuse he created so he does not need to feel guilty about deserting the kids." You either don't know Kevin at all (as I suspect), or he doesn't know you enough to speak openly with you about this. He couldn't be more dismayed and heartbroken by the way things turned out. And if you think he would excercise some sort of "escape clause" on his kids less than two weeks before the start of their season for no reason other than that he wanted out, you REALLY don't know Kevin at all. And lastly, judging by the overall tone and level of ignorance displayed in your letter, you do not sound at all like someone Kevin Quinn would associate with. You may know his name, or have met him, but I would bet anything that's as far as it goes between the two of you.
I have welcomed all discussion of this issue ever since my initial editorial, but this is the first time I have been inspired to write more on the Patriot Act. As I said, this person has given us the single best illustration as to why the MAU administration might be right in thinking that area parents aren't capable of taking good enough care of their children. I personally don't believe that for a second, but it is this type of thinking that "anonymous" has displayed that leads to such dangerous conclusions.
-Adam White