To the editor:

I have read with interest the comments for and against Superintendent Jim Simpson’s decision to not air the president’s speech in the Lindbergh Schools.

Maybe I’m missing something here, but isn’t it the job of our school districts to educate students and not to impose their brand of censorship? Is it not the school district’s job to prepare our future generation for the “real” world?

Of course it is. Well, hello, the real world isn’t always pleasant.

Let our future leaders hear and learn every aspect of our government. The president’s speech was innocuous and benign in my opinion, and the Lindbergh Schools’ decision to not broadcast the message from the president of the United States is inexcusable.

Our future generations will have to deal with many tough decisions in their lifetime including, but not limited to, state and political issues.

It is not up to Dr. Simpson to decide what messages from the president of the United States our students should be “allowed” to hear.

Information is knowledge and every one of the students should have been allowed to hear the president’s speech. It’s called democracy and there are two principles that any definition of democracy includes — equality and freedom.

“Majority rule” is often described as a characteristic feature of democracy, but responsible protection of individual liberties from oppression of tyranny is everyone’s right.

This whole issue could have and should have been handled so much better. Respect the rights of the future caretakers of our country to listen to all aspects of pertinent current events. They deserve to hear all sides.

Debbie Emmerich

Concord