Jackson Free Press

I think we should pass a national law—or maybe this falls under states' rights—enforcing a uniform dress code. All citizens will only be allowed to wear khaki pants, a choice of certain colors of shirt; preferably red, white, navy, or royal blue, and closed toe shoes in black or brown. Additionally, belts must be worn for any clothing without elastic waistbands, shirts must be tucked in, and no logos on articles of clothing or shoes. Those in government positions, especially those of authority dealing with the general public on a regular basis, however, will be exempted from this dress code. Anyone breaking this dress law will be fined monetarily or prevented from participating in society. After the third offense, it will be up to the government to decide the punishment.

This will decrease violence and crime, eradicate unemployment, promote racial harmony, relieve economic burdens, prevent our enemies from taking us by surprise, and cause the citizenry to think alike and work for the common good of us all.

Before you say this guy has gone off the deep end and should be locked away, I want you to know that this is exactly what school districts across this state, and in other states of this nation, are imposing on our youth. Yes—on our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. Their decisions are based mostly on faulty, unscientific studies of Longshore High School in California which haphazardly led others to believe that a uniform dress code improved academic performance, reduced violence and eased parents' shopping burden. The study failed to mention other policies that actually had more to do with the results.

Others in history have promoted, if not enforced, uniform dress codes. The one that stands out most in my mind is Adolf Hitler with his brown shirt brigades, gestapo black suits and Star of David badges. Look how well it worked for him.

Personally, I don't like the idea of baggy, holey, inflammatory, sensual or sexual clothing in the school. I know that something needs to be done, but I disagree on stripping the freedom of expression to the point that students can only wear that which someone else deems appropriate.

If you think it's OK for someone else to tell you how your children can dress, then maybe you're OK with them deciding how many children you can have, or what they can be fed, or what religion they can follow or who they can choose as friends. If that's the case, then remember to greet your local School Board members, Superintendents of Education, Principals and Teachers in the proper manner; with a heel snap, palm down-upward hand thrust and shout of "Zeig Heil!"

But if you're like me, express your disagreement at the voting booth the next go round.
— William R. "Randy" Stogner
Kokomo, Miss.

This Is How We Lose

The fanatics have gone ("What a Mississippi Pro-Choice Rally Looks Like," July 17), but the U.S. Senate has done real and terrible harm to vulnerable young women with the "Child Custody Protection Act," which makes it a crime for anyone to take a girl across state lines for an abortion except her parents. This means that grandparents or compassionate friends who want to help a victim of incest, rape or a girl simply terrified of the beating she might receive would go to jail. This is how the reproductive rights of women may well be lost; not to frenzied extremists, but in bits and pieces to "reasonable"-sounding legislators.
— John Davis
Jackson

Power to the Peaceful

It has been 61 years since the United States dropped the first, second and only atomic bombs ever to be dropped on civilian populations. Today, in one state alone, we have over 150 Minuteman missiles, each potentially 27 times more destructive than our earlier weapons of mass destruction.

We have a president who claims to be acting on direct orders from God, and who has the power, as well as the predilection for violence, to push the "nukular" button. We have a group of fundamentalist career politicians in full charge mode, making what seems like every effort to bring about the "end times."

Our president demonstrates the narrow extent of his reverence for human life by protecting fertilized eggs and cherishing fetuses while he cheers the war that blows to bits the world's most precious resource, our post-womb fetuses, commonly called kids. Our leaders exercise neither diplomacy, nor decency. They are crazed fanatics who use pious talk to disguise their wicked walks.

Perpetual war is insanity. Much better ways of settling differences are being engaged all over our world. It all boils down to this: fight or get along. In the nuclear age, the choice is nonviolence or nonexistence.

Make a stand for nonviolence now before another child's life goes up in flames—it could be your child or mine, as the ravages of nuclear war cannot be contained.
—Tritta Neveleff
Raymond

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