Congratulations to Judge D. Brock Hornby, David Ray and the Yarmouth School Committee.

Attorney Melissa Hewey was exactly right about the Yarmouth High School honor code. She said, “This issue should not be in court. There is no basis whatsoever for the girl to avoid the consequences of her action.”

Edgar Allen Beem dismissively refers to many of us as the “a rule’s a rule crowd.” What crowd is Beem in? The “a rule is not a rule crowd?”

He makes a pretty strong argument regarding kids holding beer cans: “If (holding a can proves you’re drinking), every kid who ever participated in a bottle drive could be suspended.” Did you really say that? I mean, did you really say that?

Please read this slowly: Refraining from underage drinking is not a school policy. It is the law. The school policy simply requires students to obey the law. Honor codes are reasonable boundaries intended to help kids reach their highest potential.

Yes, as unfair as it sounds, a rule is a rule. Honor is honor. Teaching our kids to be honorable in many circles is a good thing. Kids who break agreements and laws without consequences are headed for danger. Unfortunately, too many great kids are being encouraged and allowed to be in the “a rule’s not a rule crowd.”

Beem’s plea for allowing kids to pick and choose the laws that work for them can be destructive for those who take you seriously.

David Melville
Portland