Edgar Beem seems unnerved by authority. In his inane musing about the Bonny Eagle administration’s attempt to maintain decorum at its graduation, Beem suggests that “respect is something you have to earn.”

 

But respect is earned among your peers. School administration and police do not need to earn respect. As unfair as it sounds, they should be respected because they are administrators, educators and police.

 

The most disturbing part of Beem’s rant: “Thousands of students sign honor codes at local schools just to make school officials happy.” Huh? Most of the honor codes at local schools are an agreement between the student athlete and the school to simply obey the law.

 

If we don’t express the paramount importance of a signature being the very essence of honor and trustworthiness, we could possibly be missing one of the most important teachable moments in our children’s formation. If a student does not understand that his/her signature equals his/her reputation, we are training young folks to work with, for, or as Bernie Madoff. We have rules. We have expectations. And the expectation is that your signature is everything. It cannot be meant just to “keep people happy.”

 

“Haven’t you noticed that the worst behaved kids tend to have the strictest parents?” Wow. Kind of a broad brush.

 

Interestingly, Beem closes his article with Pink Floyd lyrics. Pink Floyd enthusiast Jim Derogatis, says the following:

 

” Few bands in rock history have provoked as many stoned musings and deep intellectual conversations as Pink Floyd.” Indeed.

David Melville
Portland

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