Authorities will assess proper punishment

I fail to see the relevance of rules imposed on elementary school students at football games to the summertime DWI arrest of a varsity football player ("Rules apply to everyone," Oct. 9 letters). I read about the arrest like most readers, but I never read about a conviction in this case. Fortunately, the last time I checked, even varsity football players were considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, not by local gossips.

It's unfortunate that one reader chose to use rules pertaining to Hanna Springs students to wage an obvious personal attack on one varsity player. DWI is a very serious offense. I have every confidence that should this individual be found guilty, a judge will assess a proper and just punishment.

One important lesson we should learn from our teenagers is many of the best-behaved, intelligent, "never breaking the laws" teenagers are drinking and partying with the rest of them. They just haven't been caught...yet. The school is not responsible for the students during the summer. Legal infractions that occur during the summer do not fall under the jurisdiction of LHS or the UIL. Parents and, in this case, the courts are responsible for determining the guilt and assessing the punishment.

There are harsh consequences for athletes who "break the law" during the school year. There is an athletics code of conduct that each parent and athlete must read and sign at the beginning of each school year.

This is not Little League. Varsity athletes are not owed equal playing time. In a profession where your job depends on the performance of a group of teenaged boys, you definitely want to put the most talented, skilled athletes on the field. The arm-chair quarterbacks in this town start calling for a coach's job pretty quick once they are losing.

I believe in a harsh punishment by the proper authorities when a crime has been committed. Once guilt has been established and the courts deal with it, you've got to accept that and just hope the young people in our community learn from these lessons. You cannot demand they continue to be punished in every aspect of their lives. Let's give the kid a chance to correct his behavior before we write him off as a hardcore criminal. The court of public opinion has never been a fair one.

I raised three children in this town. I would like to point out that when each of them were in third through sixth grade, they too were precious little angels. They all grow into teenagers. Unless you spend 24 hours a day with your teens, I would caution against throwing stones.

Vicki Taylor