Touchy About Touch

I guess in addition to becoming adept at air kisses, our kids also will nail the fine art of air handshakes, air high-fives and air hugs ["Va. School's No-Contact Rule Is a Touchy Subject," Metro, June 18].

I suppose the principal at Kilmer Middle School in Vienna would rather the kids text-message each other, too, than risk having a face-to-face conversation. For heaven's sake, there might be a disagreement, and someone might raise his or her voice!

Whenever I hear of rules like this, I believe it's the first sign that a person should not be in education, where one of the duties is to teach young people not just academics but also appropriate behavior. That always has been and always will be a part of education. Rules such as this lead me to believe that a person does not want to do the hard work; he or she would rather make rules to preclude any possible problems.

This ranks up there with prohibiting tag and chase on the playground for fear a child might trip, fall and suffer a minor injury. We certainly can't let children act like children; we certainly can't allow any level of risk; we certainly can't allow human beings to be human beings.

Have you ever seen 14-year-old girls not hug each other? At Kilmer, I suppose there were no goodbye hugs even as the school year ended. How sad.

BARBARA STEAKLEY

Mount Vernon

·

Wootton High School in Rockville also is addressing the subject of touch.

Wootton's 2007 yearbook features two full pages on the topic of couples and relationships. However, instead of condemning touching on school grounds, the Wootton yearbook editors celebrate it. Yes, right there in the yearbook are several photographs, names and so-called awards given to the students who had the greatest propensity for PDAs (public displays of affection).

How can such behavior be reviled by one school yet seen as a badge of honor at another? Maybe the Fairfax County school principal shouldn't be so touchy herself.

JONATHAN B HABER

Rockville