Mike Simpson’s teacher has conveyed a bad lesson in the reaction to Rep. Thomas Shields’s response to the student’s letter (April 19). She taught him to be a victim and that he should be a crybaby to the media when he hears arguments that he doesn’t like.

What Simpson should have learned is that there are people who have strong views on issues and that there can be very strong arguments in disagreement with his own position on an issue. Then he should carefully study those arguments to determine whether he should modify his own views. Unfortunately, many educators now believe that one should not challenge a student’s views for it might hurt his feelings.

It stretches credibility to think that a high school senior should find anything in the Shields letter offensive. Shouldn’t Shields be commended for taking the trouble to write a lengthy essay that provides strong counterarguments on the assisted-suicide issue rather than the brief, bland response expected?

It’s also incredible that you deemed this a front page story and then compounded it with an editorial.

Moreover, you have ignored another significant dimension of this story. Democrat Sen. Neria Douglass has failed to respond to a student’s serious letter, even after months have passed.

Douglas I. Hodgkin, Lewiston