Evening star., 1963-01-15
LETTERS TO THE STAR
Reaction to Report on D. c. Stadium Riot

-DuC WnyY Parents oppose
disciplinary measures; the
Board of Education puts
many restraints upon prin-
cipalS and teachers; the
Police Departm ent can't
intervene; the courts can't,
and the parents won't. So
where do you start? Juveniles
are well aware Of the fact
that there is very little that
can be done under current
laws. 1t is most disturbing to
pick up the newspapers or
to hear news commentators
mention known hoodlums,"
known sexual molesters."
etc. Why must these few folk
be permitted to remain in
society to worsen conditions
for the majority who are
unknown good citizens?"
I urge the citizenry to
stand behind Mr.. Mentzer
and urge the Board Of Edu-
cation to take no action
against him. I urge Mr..
Mentzer to carry on. I urge
the citizenry to encourage
the students there at Eastern
to proudly hold up the name
Of Eastern. I urge the citi-
zenry to seek ways and
means Of expelling the nui-
sances from and around
Eastern and all schools. I
urge that strong enforceable
laws be put into effect to
force the nuisances and their
parents to pay their debts to
society. 1t is known at an
early age that children are
uncomfortable In the home,
in the school, and In the
community. If parents insist
on rearing these uncontrol-
liable monsters, then institu-
tionalize them and force the
parents to share that cost.
C. w. Jones.
= \ =
/ wish to commend you
upon your coverage Of the
report given by the Shane
MacCarthy Committee on the
Thanksgiving Day riot at the
D. c. Stadium. I also wish
to commend you for your
January 10 editorial, Read
1t - and Weep"
Now it is being said that
the teachers in D. c. have full
authority to maintain disci-
pline. To my knowledge ]
don't know what that au-
thority entails. A teacher
may be able to maintain dis
cipline because she has q per-
sonality which commands 1t.
There is a law against cor
poral punishment. Children
often tell teachers, You're
not allowed to touch me-" A
child may not be suspended,
nor expelled. Often, when Ne
gro parents have been con-
tacted they upbraid the
teacher saying, You are dis
eliminating against our
race"
In another Washington
newspaper many statements
have been made that the
present distress and conduct
of the Negroes in Washing
ton are due to the fact that
our school systems were so
unequal in the days when we
had the dual school system.
I cannot understand that po-
sition. To my knowledge the
Negro schools were given dol
lar for dollar all that was
given the white schools.
Much has been made of the
overcrowding in the Negro
schools. In that era the white
schools were also overcrowd-
ed. In many areas Of the city
white children had TO 60 to
school in shifts. I was a
teacher in the white elemen-
tary d. c. public schools. I
am now retired. I seldom
taught less than forty or for
ty-two students In q class,
and recall one time when I
had forty-nine. two grades in
the room. Yet ] can say in
truth. from my record. that
my children knew what they
were supposed TO know. pro-
viding they had sufficient
l. O., when the time came for
them 10 go on 10 the next
grade.
II is very distressing TO me
TO read in the papers the
dreadful criticism OF the
Washington. d. c. school sys-
tenn as operated before the
Supreme Court decision re-
quiring integration. In my
opinion we had q good sys-
tenn, second 10 none in the
United States. / was always
proud 10 say l was a teacher
In Washington. d. c. The
teachers and supervisors were
dedicated men and women.
who had been highly trained
for their positions. Johnny
was well-taughti
Former ID, q, Teacher.