The Cupertino Courier Letters Lamson's supporters should rethink position After reading the article on the sentencing of ex-Homestead High School teacher/coach Jeff Lamson, I am shocked to learn that teachers at this school are still speaking out in his defense. I am an alumnus of Homestead and had Mr. Lamson as a teacher several years ago. Sure he was a good teacher and active in the community, but I question whether it is morally right to support a now convicted sex offender just because he has "roots in the community." I say no. It has been known that several teachers at the school publicly support Lamson and wrote letters and made court appearances pleading for a light sentence. Who are they supporting? Sex offenders or students? Teachers not only have the responsibility to teach but also act as advocates for the students, those whom they make a direct impact on every single day. It appears to me that just because one was once a well-liked teacher and has a prominent name means that members of the impacted community should just forgive and forget. What kind of message is that sending to our kids? I urge those teachers who have publicly supported Jeff Lamson to seriously reflect on themselves and question why exactly are they in the teaching profession. Teachers have the power to make an impact on students that can last a lifetime, as some of these same teachers at Homestead made on my life. To support a sex offender and not the students, in my opinion, is a drastic mistake in common sense. Cory Christian Sunnyvale Smoking is a drag I am writing in response to a letter written by Mr. Di Leonardo a few weeks ago. I have a different opinion with regard to his statements about limits on smoking. He stated that Prohibition failed and that we should learn from that mistake. Well, excuse the pun, but smoking is a drag! Our society should seek to further limit unhealthy behaviors such as smoking that are "associated" with devastating cardiac and pulmonary disease. The trouble with smoking is these incapacitating conditions don't show up for many years. I witness the suffering they cause almost daily in the intensive care unit where I work. The Feb. 1 issue of Newsweek has a one-page story written by a man who smoked for some 50 years. It details his efforts to quit, and his bouts with emphysema and lung cancer. I encourage people to pick it up and read it. It says a lot about the true value and enjoyment of life. I know many smokers feel discriminated against as a result of the legislation enacted to curb smoking. In my opinion, the supporters of Prohibition had the right idea. It's okay to take a stand against teenage smoking, second hand smoke, and all the issues related to smoking period. Colleen O'Leary-Kelley Sunnyvale [ Back to Contents Page | Cupertino Courier Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Cupertino Courier, February 3, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.