Saturday, October 29, 2005

It is difficult to imagine a story more absurd than the Oct. 25 Metro piece ["Girl, 8, Credited With Year's 1st Bear Kill"] about an 8-year-old girl who skipped school so she could go bear hunting. While I question the wisdom of the father handing a loaded gun to a child who probably is too small to ride most roller coasters, this letter is not about hunting.

The father and daughter were not hunting for the family's survival, but for sport. I am amazed that any parent would let hobby hunting take priority over education. We don't need standardized tests to identify the shortcomings in our educational system when parents refuse to put a proper emphasis on educating their children.

ALAN M. FREEMAN

Potomac