At the Charlotte Avenue school kids can’t play tag. Why? Because the principal lacks the imagination to do anything other than follow a narrow interpretation of some rules and can’t think of an alternative solution, like taking violent kids out of the game.

What to do? The parents of kids who can no longer play tag should tell the kids to play anyway, every day, and to play without being violent. Then let the principal deal with the entire student body. What’s she going to do? Give them all detention?

Meanwhile, soccer players can’t wear pink socks in recognition of breast cancer awareness. Why? Because of some arbitrary ruling that only white socks are acceptable.

What to do? The entire team (or teams) should wear pink socks and play anyway. What’s the worse that can happen? The team will get a lot more recognition for having the courage to stand up to some ridiculous administrative rule than they will for winning a few soccer games.

If the rest of the country operated under the kind of thinking behind these ludicrous restrictions there would be no sports of any kind because someone might get hurt. And we’d all dress the same so no one would be offended.

Exercise civil disobedience. Play tag and wear pink socks. Stand up to unreasonable rules and restrictions.

Noel Ward

Amherst, NH

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