To the Editor:
In Response to Representative Woodcock’s Speech campaigning to remove the Mottos “Live Free or Die” and “In God We Trust”:
With all due respect Representative Woodcock, you may have experiences within the school system as a previous administrator, but I can speak from experience as a teenager in THIS day and age. You do NOT represent my personal experience in the public school system.
I recently had the displeasure of listening to what I consider a senile rant that you gave at the statehouse, in regards to removing from the schools, the State motto “Live Free or Die” and “In God We Trust”.
I took your words personally having dealt with the very things you mentioned. The bullying, the fear of my fellow classmates opinions of me, self-harm and most of all the suicidal thoughts. I assure you that walking through the halls of the school and seeing these mottos would NOT be a “trigger” as Woodcock states. It would be the LEAST of my concern and would have no negative effect on the thoughts and emotions I was experiencing.
The motto “In God We Trust” would unbeknownst to me, be what would allow me to live free and NOT die. It would be something I clung to for survival. Though one deity may not be for all, it was for me personally. It could potentially be the help and salvation for others in their time of need and I would hate to see it be removed. I do not wish for it to be removed from schools.
It is absolutely ridiculous to insinuate that these mottos would impact me emotionally compared to the other factors effecting me at the time. The only thing that triggers me right now is your speech.
And by the way even with my under-developed mind I know that the brown stuff on fries is referred to as gravy.
With all sincerity from a High School Student,
Ella Hunt
Conway, NH