Flying a tattered flag
Shame on Forrest Elementary School. For months, they have been flying a tattered, ripped, and torn American flag. They pay no attention to this flag as a patriotic symbol of the country they live in.
Teachers and staff, parents and students hustle by it with no thought of the men and women who fight daily to protect that flag and the freedom it stands for. There is a code to flying an American flag. As an educational facility, they should understand and follow that code.
This school should be teaching their students what it is to be an American, what it is to understand patriotism, and what it is to put a symbol of importance on a pedestal that soldiers fight and die for on a daily basis. It’s a disgrace to every soldier in our great military, and every veteran who thankfully made it home.
Forrest Elementary, give our beautiful American flag the attention and devotion it deserves. Teach your students what it is to be a patriotic American.
It breaks my heart every morning to see it fly like a neglected cloth, that no one could care less about.
Joe Misnik
Mayfair
Don’t ignore the ongoing problem of bullying
Bullying: an eight-letter word with three syllables, two vowels, six consonants, and it has endless meanings. In today’s society, bullying seems normal to us teens, because it happens daily. On the outside we look so happy and carefree, but on the inside we are broken. Just a simple four-letter word can shatter a person’s day.
Bullying can occur in a variety of ways whether it is through social media, or physical/verbal abuse. Please think about what you say or post on social media.
Many teens struggle internally from bullying and feel like they have no one to turn to, which can result in self-harming or depression. Everyone has someone there to support them, whether it is a parent/guardian, teacher, neighbor, or a friend. This not only goes for teens, but adults, too.
Please do not ever feel like you are alone in the world; talk to someone. Parents, please talk to your children and let them know you are there for them and that you support them. Knowing that someone is there for you helps immensely.
Hug your children and let them know that there is always a light at the end of this dark tunnel, and there will always be a better solution. If you know of someone who is being bullied or self harms, please talk to them; don’t ignore the problem.
Some signs that someone you know is being bullied are: loss of sleep or appetite, sudden loss of friends, self harm, decline in grades or loss of interest in school work, and feeling sick or faking illness. This endless cycle of bullying is nothing involving “coming of age” or just “children being children.” This is a real problem that needs greater attention. Most teens have been bullied and I was one of them.
Valentina Vrbicek
Somerton
