Political posters aren't semi-sexy

As a St-Henri resident, I smiled at the recent photograph by Gunther Gamper of the "Serveuses Semi Sexy" billboard ["The Front," May 14] and still wonder what "semi sexy" entails!

Another piece of St-Henri signage that interests me is that we still have campaign posters visible on buildings nearly a year after the last federal election. Of course, no one takes responsibility for their removal.

I've complained to the MP in question, Liberal Raymond Lavigne, but nothing happens. And he supports the beautification of St-Henri.

-- Michael Clark

School uniforms make for better kids

I'm one of the millions across North America who find nothing wrong with school uniforms. Over drinks at a downtown coffee shop, I told a friend who said he had to wear one, "You really ought to be grateful for them. Where I went, there wasn't a policy like that, and the upshot was a disaster."

Today, my old stomping ground has a policy of uniforms. But when I was there, it was mired in fashion competition--and I admit that I too was caught up in it.

It was the '80s , and for me it was a decade where I would transform from pre-teen to adult (12 to 22)--and one where I encountered the least disciplined creatures anyone ever knew. Plus, clothes were the primary source of clashes due to income differences.

Now, with uniforms a prerequisite in most high schools, clashes over background differences have all but disappeared. All students wear similar outfits, which decreases the amount parents spend on clothes in the summer months. For welfare households, income differences are masked. School spirit gets better: with only school colours being worn, there's very little antagonism between competing gangs.

Educators greet uniforms with open arms and probably have no plans to ever let it be changed. Students are calmer, more polite, and definitely more disciplined. In fact, some students have also shown appreciation for it, as I'm sure I would.

-- Robert Pariseau

School uniforms are crazy

Regarding Jacquie Charlton's story "Freedom of wardrobe" [May 21], about the mohawked student who prefers combat boots to Nikes and got in trouble with his school: Are schools these days crazy? Judging by the photo of the student (Luc Lesage), he looked handsome and disciplined in his choice of attire. Besides, teachers and administrators should worry about what goes on in a student's head, not about the clothes they wear on their backs or the shoes on their feet.

-- Douglas Karen

Down with St-Michel tree killers!

I need to tell you about an example of a total disregard for nature in the St-Michel area by some neighbours. I found a struggling tree, recently planted by the city of Montreal as a replacement for an ice storm casualty, yanked out by its roots hours after my attempt to keep it alive--a display of malice intending above all to destroy this most inoffensive form of life.

Even before the ice storm, I have watched the chopping down of trees so fetching and well-contained in their yards, so unobtrusive and equally inoffensive. Now the chance is there to beautify our neighbourhood with the city's help, and this is what we do to it? Then stop whining about the city not doing enough!

I only hope the city never quits on this issue, and gives us back that tree where it belongs. Life like that is deserving. I can't believe anyone would go out of their way to pull that tree out, while weeds all around go untouched.

Such a putrid attitude should be pulled out by its own roots.

-- Elaine Synowicky

CLARIFICATION

In our May 21 issue we ran two photos of some students from The Sacred Heart School of Montreal in connection with an article about the band Tricky Woo.

Our intention in using these photos was simply to create a playful mood around the article. The school has advised us that they did not authorize the shoot, as we had believed and as our caption implied.

It was not our intention to call into question the students' moral behaviour or to ridicule the Sacred Heart School itself.

We regret any misunderstanding that may have occurred.