Barberton High School students being pepper sprayed is torture
Letter to the editor
To the Editor:
I was shocked when I saw on all TV news on May 17 that at least 15 students at Barberton High School had been pepper sprayed in the face and eyes as a class assignment for their criminal science studies. That is torture. I guess the idea was so students could feel what it was like to be pepper sprayed. Torture.
According to what the news media reported, the students volunteered and the parents gave permission. We all know that kids will volunteer for the most ridiculous things but for the parents to agree to something like this is unbelievable. They gave permission to someone to torture their children. The students were told by their instructor that they would receive extra credit on their science studies.
Were these students and parents made aware of what possible physical damage it could do to the students' eyes as well as their respiratory system? The damage could show up now or several years later.
Some comments made from the public on the news were, "Well, if the parents gave permission and the students volunteered, so be it." So they approve torture. I think anyone agreeing to such torture along with their parents should be lined up in front of a wall and get a good dose of pepper spray.
On the TV news, did you see how the students were yelling, screaming and jumping up and down? It wasn't in joy. It was in pain.
What's the next class exercise for extra credit? Getting shot? See what it feels like getting a bullet lodged in your body somewhere. Just a thought. Sounded ridiculous. So was the pepper spray incident.
I think that anyone in the Barberton School Administration that agreed and approved the pepper spray incident should be fired. They gave permission to torture the students as well as possibly causing future health complication. Furthermore, any Barberton Board of Education member that agreed to the pepper spray assignment should be asked to resign from the board as their best interest in the students wasn't shown here in this incident.
It was interesting to see that there wasn't any follow-up on this incident on the TV station news the next day or two. Also, nothing in the newspapers. What's that tell you? Barberton School Administration squelched all further news to the TV stations and newspapers.
To the students of Barberton High School, please, think twice before agreeing to test out torture.
Ralph L. Jefferies
Wadsworth
I was shocked when I saw on all TV news on May 17 that at least 15 students at Barberton High School had been pepper sprayed in the face and eyes as a class assignment for their criminal science studies. That is torture. I guess the idea was so students could feel what it was like to be pepper sprayed. Torture.
According to what the news media reported, the students volunteered and the parents gave permission. We all know that kids will volunteer for the most ridiculous things but for the parents to agree to something like this is unbelievable. They gave permission to someone to torture their children. The students were told by their instructor that they would receive extra credit on their science studies.
Were these students and parents made aware of what possible physical damage it could do to the students' eyes as well as their respiratory system? The damage could show up now or several years later.
Some comments made from the public on the news were, "Well, if the parents gave permission and the students volunteered, so be it." So they approve torture. I think anyone agreeing to such torture along with their parents should be lined up in front of a wall and get a good dose of pepper spray.
On the TV news, did you see how the students were yelling, screaming and jumping up and down? It wasn't in joy. It was in pain.
What's the next class exercise for extra credit? Getting shot? See what it feels like getting a bullet lodged in your body somewhere. Just a thought. Sounded ridiculous. So was the pepper spray incident.
I think that anyone in the Barberton School Administration that agreed and approved the pepper spray incident should be fired. They gave permission to torture the students as well as possibly causing future health complication. Furthermore, any Barberton Board of Education member that agreed to the pepper spray assignment should be asked to resign from the board as their best interest in the students wasn't shown here in this incident.
It was interesting to see that there wasn't any follow-up on this incident on the TV station news the next day or two. Also, nothing in the newspapers. What's that tell you? Barberton School Administration squelched all further news to the TV stations and newspapers.
To the students of Barberton High School, please, think twice before agreeing to test out torture.
Ralph L. Jefferies
Wadsworth
