Perspective: Bible's gender roles were prophecy

That's what I believe. Here is why: I believe Genesis, chapter 3:16, ". . . and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" should actually read, "thy turning to shall be to thy husband and he will rule over thee." The words were spoken to Eve, and were therefore not a commandment to Adam to dominate her. It was God telling her by His foreknowledge that, yes, Adam will dominate you. These words would describe what one man, Adam, would do, and were not a commandment to him to rule over Eve, nor to the long generations of men who have used them to dominate all women, as your writer describes.

How wise of Mr. Brewster.

He will rule: It's a prophecy, not a commandment.
-- Jean M. S. Wilson, Largo

Roles were issued by God

Re: Men created gender inequity, not God, by David Brewster, Sept. 24.

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with David Brewster. All one has to do is look back in time and see that men had rules for survival, and women had rules for raising children and taking care of the family. So God had given men and women different responsibilities so as to have a moral and responsible family life.

It wasn't until World War II that things changed for the worse, when women had to work to help produce the food and weapons that the men would need to successfully win the war. It was at this point in time that women wanted equality in the work force, not realizing that their freedom would be costly to the morality of the family. Just look at the breakdown of the family and the divorce rate. That should tell us a little bit about equality.

Now, I don't have a problem with women going out there and having equality with men, but if that's what they want, they should stop having babies that other people have to care for. And let real moms stay at home and raise their children and care for their husbands in a moral and responsible way.
-- Sonny Gibbons, Hudson

Logical response in place

Re: Treading on student rights, by Diane Steinle, and Schools as fortresses, editorial, Sept. 24.

The "heavy-handedness" in Pinellas County schools, especially high schools, as described in the lead article and the editorial is but one response to the increasing potential for violence. There is another process at work in this country's school system as well.

Last October, through the leadership of Ralph Bailey, Ph.D., and other leaders in Student Services and Safe and Drug-Free Schools, a federal grant, "Safe Schools/Healthy Students," was awarded to the school system. It was initiated in January and is being implemented by student services professionals in the school system as well as by community partners such as law enforcement, public health, youth development and mental health agencies. The goal of the grant is to implement comprehensive plans to prevent violence and promote healthy development within drug-free schools that will endure well beyond the funding cycle of the grant.

I am proud to be one of the service providers on a team of four social-skills specialists in this worthy endeavor. The charge to this team is to promote social skills among our students from pre-kindergarten through the elementary grades by providing training to the adults who work with them. Research shows that when students have good social skills, they are more likely to achieve academically.

Other teams provide upward extensions of the basics of social skills throughout elementary, middle and high schools, helping students develop and demonstrate personal responsibility for learning and self-management while demonstrating respect and responsibility for the learning environment. The other teams are violence prevention, covering elementary through middle school, and anger management, working primarily with high school students.

Parents are served through the parent advocacy team, which supports families and serves as an intermediary between school and community, providing training in behavior management and communication. Data demonstrate that as parental involvement increases, the academic achievement of the students increases and behavior problems decrease.

The grant does include, through law enforcement, the sometimes-necessary "intrusive" elements as described in the article and editorial. But there are numerous "logical and cool-headed" responses in place in the school system that will help all children, from a very early age, be safe from the inside out, within safe learning environments, where they will have the opportunity for highest achievement.
-- Anne H. Bowman, Ed.D., school psychologist, St. Petersburg

Social workers needed

Re: Treading on student rights, by Diane Steinle, Sept. 24.

I agree that it is important for us to find ways to keep our children safe in school without violating their rights and making them feel like criminals. Steinle suggests that it may be wiser to "invest in more guidance counselors, nurses and psychologists" to assist students and families that may be troubled. Again, I agree. However, I have one question: What about school social workers?

As a school social worker, I understand the vital role we play in the school system. We work with the guidance and psychology departments to provide students with anger management skills, social skills and conflict resolution tools. We are also uniquely qualified to work with families to assist them with community resources and to provide support for them and their children. The Pinellas County school system is fortunate to have a strong social work department, and I feel that it is important for families and the community to understand the role school social workers play so that we can be utilized to the fullest. I believe that school social workers are pivotal in making our schools safe for students without violating their rights. So in the cry for more guidance counselors, nurses and psychologists, please do not neglect to provide our students with more social workers, too.
-- Mary Ann Phillips, MSW, Palm Harbor

Life-saving inconvenience

Re: Treading on student rights.

Diane Steinle seems to believe that our schools treat students as criminals. If having security measures in place to help prevent violence and drug use in our schools infringes on the rights of students, then so do the searches we all endure when we go to the airport, courthouse, concerts, and even to listen to George W. Bush or Al Gore speak.

It would be nice if we didn't have to subject students to searches in schools, but unfortunately there are some bad seeds attending classes. In today's society, casual drug use is a common theme (listen to the radio playing in the average teenager's car), and violence is a daily subject of entertainment (check out the movies). We have to take precautions in our schools just as we have to take precautions at the aforementioned places.

In today's litigious society, schools must do everything to ensure that weapons and drugs are kept out. I, for one, would rather have schools be safe than sorry. It is better that students go through some minor inconveniences than lose their lives, and it's better for schools to spend some money on security measures than to settle a lawsuit due to their negligence.
-- John F. Marretta, Port Richey

Pay attention to character

Re: An unserious America pays scant attention to Gore's flaws, by Charles Krauthammer, Sept 24.

I could not agree more with the theme of this article. The programs proposed by the two major presidential candidates are poorly explained and seldom understood by the general population. No matter who wins, his proposals will suffer modification and perhaps death at the hands of intervening factors such as the Congress, the economy or world events. The one thing the public can be assured of is that the character of the winner will dictate, to a large degree, the quality of his administration.

With this in mind, voters who fell for the glib-tongued "Slick Willie" should have learned a lesson and be extremely wary of Al Gore. His penchant for exaggeration, loss of memory at depositions, all-around carelessness with the truth and inability to recognize a fundraiser (even when he "are one") could deal the final blow to the prestige of the presidency should he be elected. The news media should do their part by emphasizing his deceitfulness rather than treating it in a casual, superficial way.
-- R. N. Lang, St. Petersburg

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