Horrible decision
EDITOR: An open letter to the West Sonoma County Unified High School District:
I was horrified to hear in Sonoma West Times & News that you and the board decided to allow the production company to return to Analy to shoot season two of 13 Reasons Why. There was not notification or invitation to the community that you were going to vote on this on May 9. I ask you to please reconsider and vote again after there is public discussion and debate or expect serious resistance from parents and the community.
Psychologists and suicide prevention experts agree that the show is an irresponsible portrayal of suicide and is dangerous for teens because it glamorizes revenge suicide fantasy in an exploitation snuff film. It is dangerous because there is a lack of mental health alternatives mentioned in the film. Surely you have read the news about the negative response to the show and know that the consensus from educators is that this show is not healthy for children and teens. It is unconscionable that you would put profits before students and mental health knowing full well what the experts think of the show.
I only recently learned of this show because of the suicide of one of our brightest students, Sage Schmitt, at Hillcrest Middle School. The entire community is reeling and will be for a long time to come. My son went to school with Sage and will be starting as a freshman in the fall at Analy. I am concerned that it will be traumatic for our students to go to Analy and have to be involved in this suicide exploitation film production. They will surely be inconvenienced by it for months.
I am an educator. I teach at SRJC. I polled my 100-plus students, many of whom went to Analy, what they thought of the production and most of them thought it was traumatic to watch the movie at their school. One of my students said “They put a model in the lead role who is gorgeous, smart and has friends. If she has nothing to live for, what about the rest of us?” I myself could only get through a few episodes because it was so clearly a sexplotiation suicide snuff film. it was too disgusting to watch.
Please do not allow this irresponsible show that profits from exploiting teen suicide to be shot at our school. It isn’t even that much money. We can raise money to save the video production program another way. I’d prefer to work for that rather than resisting this horrible decision you have made. I am not alone and we will try to stop it.
Lynda Williams
Sebastopol
Thanks for supporting festival
EDITOR: The Sebastopol Chamber and Visitor Center thanks Sebastopol for attending the 71st Apple Blossom Festival and Parade, “An Apple Blossom Odyssey.” We appreciate the hard work and volunteerism that goes into this effort, not to mention the many sponsors who support this event with their dollars and in kind contributions. It is the efforts of the volunteers and those in attendance that keep this event alive and well.
We recognize that nothing can go on forever without the constant hard work and emotion that is shared by the children and families and friends that enjoy this activity together. This is Sebastopol’s heritage as shared in this year’s successful Apple Pavilion. It’s about the people and the memories that can’t be forgotten about our childhoods and our futures.
Please continue to support this event and bring these memories to your families for generations to come. On behalf of all of us here at the chamber, thanks again for a wonderful weekend. Please let us know your thoughts in keeping the Apple Blossom Festival and Parade part of your tradition and what you enjoy the most about it and we’ll work hard to keep it alive and well and fresh. Send your constructive thoughts to se****@se********.org.
The Chamber board, staff and festival committee
Sebastopol
Carriers’ generosity
EDITOR: As one of the recipients of the annual Letter Carriers Food Drive on May 14, the Sebastopol Inter-Church Food Pantry would like to thank the letter carriers for their hard work and the community for their overwhelming response. The shelves of the Food Pantry are full to bursting. Your generosity will go a long way in helping us address the issue of hunger in our community. Again, many, many thanks.
Mary McAulay, Food Pantry board member
Sebastopol
