An open letter to Rockland, Maine

Greetings,

Through a colleague, I was led to an article by Stephen Betts in the Courier-Gazette, where he reported on the Rockland school board meeting last Thursday night. In this meeting, board member Jennifer Daniels referred to the city of New Orleans as a war zone.

I find it hard that an educated person, especially one serving in an administrative role for educational institutions, could make such an ignorant statement.

New Orleans was hit extremely hard by the failure of the federally designed, constructed, and maintained levees. We have lost much of our population, much of our tax base, much of our infrastructure.

We still have our spirit.

We still have our indomitable will, our pride and our culture.

I raise my three children in New Orleans because I honestly believe it is the best place to raise children. They will be exposed to brass bands, amazing music, hundreds of years of culture, the best food in the world, Mardi Gras Indians, and a racially diverse populace.

We are not, as Ms. Daniels referred to us, a "war zone".

I hope you will allow the Rockland District High students to come to New Orleans, to help us in the recovery effort. We would greatly appreciate their help, and who knows, they might learn a thing or two.

Ms. Daniels might learn a thing as well.

Sincerely,

Professor Ashley Morris, Ph.D.

Comments

[thingwarbler]

You should try to find out if Ms. Daniels and the board allows army recruiters access to the list of students at her school so they can be solicited for service -- that would make her objection to sending students to "a war zone" all the more hypocritical.

[Mr. Clio]

Perfect, sir.

I am proud to call you a friend.