Bridging The Gap

To the Editor:

When I saw last week’s coverage of the incidences at the post-prom party at the Gissens’ house, I couldn’t help but feel a lot of generalized outrage. I knew that the situation was misrepresented, and that Mr Gissen was shrouded with an image that from what I have read and been told about his character could not be further from reality. But who is to blame? Nothing was libelous; everything that was stated to the effect of the party being undermining to the community or lacking in judgment was said in good faith. Still, the unsettling feeling within me that someone has been wronged remains. I know that defending the Gissens and their decision to host that party is a hopelessly uphill and politically incorrect battle unlikely to alter anyone’s opinion. But I’ll try anyway.

The root of this controversy is the pervasive popular sentiment among the individuals who have been expressing such deep outrage, such embittered personal betrayal, that an adult would have been host to an environment in which underage high school students were drinking alcohol. I’m sure that these individuals could remember a time some 23 years ago when the drinking age was 18. I’m also going to go out on a limb and say that many of these people did drink at age 18, and most likely a few years before that. If this age demographic applies to you, I applaud you for reading that last sentence and not moving on to the next letter to the editor, because it seems that recognition of that fact is extremely unsavory to many adults in this community. The drinking age changed in 1984, but human nature didn’t. And almost two and a half decades later, it still hasn’t. The Gissens are in a minority, so it seems, because they recognized this, and instead of denying it they centralized the inevitable so it wouldn’t have a lapse of judgment and get in a car.

It seems that the only thing to glean from this ordeal is something that is far too utterly idealistic and broad to be taken seriously anytime in the near future, and that is that there must be a compromise in mentality and ideology on behalf of certain people. Concern for students is commendable, but too much concern soon becomes a severe roadblock between our generations. Take an interest in a student’s academics, well-being and overall demeanor, and by that determine their character; don’t feel compelled to have to survey every corner of the lives of young adults. If I’ve undermined the PTSA in anyway, I announce my resignation from Newtown High School effective June 20.

Sean Ryan

15 Diamond Drive, Newtown                                           May 14, 2007