After I submitted my letter the other day, I learned that South Point High School did, in fact, make President Barack Obama’s speech “available” to students who wanted to see it. Kudos to you, Principal John Maynard.

I did notice, however, that most of the responses to my letter were of a political nature. Let me attempt to clear my position here.

I graduated from SPHS in 1971, and I can tell you that the teachers who taught me the most at South Point were Bill Buckler and Pat Kane.

Mr. Buckler, in American History taught me that no matter who was president, it was patriotic to support the office of president, and the will of the majority of the people in this Democracy.

I can still hear him with Kate Smith belting out “God Bless America” in the background (she was one of his favorites, and he played her songs quite often), saying “That’s what’s so great about a Democracy. Most of the people get their way all the time, and, if you don’t agree with that way, you can work hard to change it”.

Pat Kane, my English Teacher, on the other hand, taught me to speak my mind, and that as long as I was true to my beliefs I’d be OK.

If we don’t teach our children to respect the office of the president, the school administration, their teachers, etc., who will?

If we don’t teach them to respect the rule of law and how a majority vote works, how can they possibly care whether they participate in this world of theirs?

Look around, many children do neither.

I am proud to have graduated from South Point, and I am proud to be a part of “We the people.” I just think that somehow we missed a teachable moment here.

Sandi Baise, South Point