Tom Ault
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
The ACLU at one time was a worthwhile group of people that used logic and care for the protection of the underdog. It has become a place for stirring the pot of irritation using unnecessary legal procedures.
An ACLU article in the June 22 News Tribune asks for the elimination of the school resource officers. A teacher's aide is a person whose job is to assist, as needed, in the protection and the instruction of the special ed children who posed a threat to other students. These students have issues that need to be contained for their own safety as well as the safety of the other students.
On occasion, these special aides have to depend upon the school resource officer. These men, and sometimes women, are generally loving folks, many of which have school age children of their own. Their function is to help care for those children that become unruly. Most of these officers do not carry weapons although some do carry handcuffs. Now I understand there are some areas of our country that are completely out of control and the need for the officer is probably more necessary for the protections of the students.
For those of you who have never been involved with a child with autism or any other health issue that causes bad behavior I suggest you become familiar with the situation before agreeing to the suggestion just made by the ACLU here in Missouri.
The ACLU, if it has its way, would like to eliminate all authority, other than their supposed legal one, and replace that with some social workers whose hearts are in the right places, but have no idea of what happens in our schools across this nation.
I am not a violent person. I am not a hateful person. I am a law abiding person and parent who wants to see our children learning in a protected atmosphere, while also learning to understand the many problems that afflict their peers.
We need to applaud the fact these unfortunate children can get an education today that was not always a fact in years past.