Letter to the editor, the Santa Barbara News-Press, July 11, 1999:

I am outraged and appalled at your coverage of the recent incidence of vandalism at San Marcos High School. Are Santa Barbarans so hungry for lurid, juicy news they must feed on their young?

Will kids do stupid things, shocking things, rebellious things? Of course. Is it in our best interest to plaster their photos in the newspaper, label them as felons, throw the book at them, make them into social pariahs and cause their families untold heartache? I think not.

These are teens on the brink of adulthood with promising lives ahead of them, not hardened criminals. How can we assess what permanent damage is caused by the callous way this is being handled?

We are a fortunate, affluent community allegedly committed to promoting tolerance and compassion for our fellow man. How about counseling? How about a mandatory trip to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.? How about writing a paper on the history of Jewish people? How about community service to pay for the destruction of property?

Shame on the News-Press, San Marcos High School and the Santa Barbara judicial system for their insensitivity.

—Janet Rockwell
Santa Barbara

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