Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Open-palm policy may be the best

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, April 5, 2001 | 8:10 a.m.

Ruthe Deskin is assistant to the publisher. Reach her at deskin@ lasvegassun.com.

Teachers afraid to go to school.

How times have changed. Some of us seniors went to school when the words to the song "School Days" included "taught to the tune of a hickory stick."

Most of us can remember punishments from the hands of a teacher. It usually started with the command, "Hold your hand out," and was followed by a whack with a ruler across the open palm.

But through the years, some teachers became a little too enthusiastic with their discipline and rules were formulated disallowing corporal punishment of any kind. Today's disciplinary problems are more about what to do to students who attack teachers and other students.

My dear parents would have scorned the very idea that there could be such problems. Theirs was a simple solution: When we went to school we were taught to "mind the teachers." Sassy airs and back talk were taboo.

My parents let us know they would take the teacher's side in most disagreements and we should be on our best behavior at all times. They would be totally out of step in today's world of political correctness.

Perhaps the classroom atmosphere has become a bit too informal, giving children the idea that they can take liberties.

But slapping teachers, talking back to teachers, and yes, even killing teachers is abominable and totally unacceptable in a civilized society.

Why can't I understand the logic of rushing forward on the proposed state college in Henderson?

My choice, as a taxpayer, would be to use the funding to increase facilities and opportunities at existing institutions of education where a need exists.

The Board of Regents should slow down on this project until a final determination is made as to the roles of Richard Moore and Orlando Sandoval in the ongoing investigations of irregularities at the Community College of Southern Nevada.

Moore, who has been anointed (as my colleague Jon Ralston would say) as president of the new state college, was president at the community college during the time in question. Sandoval, now his chief honcho, held the same position at CCSN.

The entire situation reeks of some big chains being yanked by some mighty influential people.

Sun reader Nick Ciccone believes, as I do, that there are many, many good people in our community -- teenagers and adults.

"But no one ever hears about the good things being done by average people," he says.

His suggestion is to dedicate a news page to citizens of the day, asking readers to send names of candidates and details.

Not a bad idea.

Another reader, who chooses anonymity and one can understand why, has a solution to the gang problem.

"Build a giant boxing ring on that piece of downtown land Mayor Oscar Goodman is trying to peddle. Put all the gang members in the ring with boxing gloves and let them beat each other into some sense."

Frankly, I don't think that is what Mayor Goodman has in mind.

Think about it -- what good reasons are there for switching to daylight-saving time?