‘American Beauty’ Controversy

Re “Good Movie, Bad Moves,” Ventura County editorial, March 12.

As a recent graduate of a Ventura County high school, I am not surprised that a local school board would be willing to teach students intolerance of diverse ideas and to enforce these lessons with the use of police force.

Compounding my disappointment is the presentation of this story by The Times. At the center of my objections lies the comment that “In the wake of incidents such as the Columbine High School tragedy in Colorado, school officials can be forgiven for erring on the side of caution.”

Shame on The Times for even suggesting a relationship between the two events. Shame on you for suggesting that an act of civil disobedience could dissolve into violence like that [at Columbine], violence that was rooted in part by the intolerance of diversity similar to what “American Beauty” examines. And shame on you for suggesting that 18-year-old students, legal adults old enough to vote and die for their country, are somehow not able to make informed decisions about right and wrong on their own--and, of course, for reinforcing the trend of criminalizing youth and implying a tendency for violence among students.

We need to remember that sometimes, as was so often evident throughout the 20th century, official policy is not the right policy and well-informed resistance to it is something to be admired, not condemned.

BILL LASCHER

Ventura

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I find it scary and ludicrous that in the year 2000 a high school teacher could be persecuted (arrested and suspended from her job), modern-day witch-hunt style, simply for showing an R-rated movie to students who were already legally of age to see the same movie on their own.

This instance perfectly reflects the insanely hypocritical double standard-based restrictions that our Puritan-founded American society applies to sexuality but not to violence. Openness about sexual topics is taboo but violence and brutality, especially when done in the name of patriotism and so-called justice, are readily accepted and condoned.

The tragic result of this alleged morality is clearly evident in the high rates of violent crime and gun-related deaths in our wonderful nation.

God bless America, land of religious hypocrisy.

DMITRY OWENS

Ojai