Letter: In response to Mr. Douglas's letter

Posted 1/10/18

To the editor:

John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “There are two kinds of ‘people;’ those who don’t know, and those who don’t know they don’t …

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Letter: In response to Mr. Douglas's letter

Posted

To the editor:

John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “There are two kinds of ‘people;’ those who don’t know, and those who don’t know they don’t know.”

While Scott Douglas could be placed in either category, after reading his latest letter to the Barrington Times, he’s certainly a candidate for the latter. 

Tom Rimoshytus was right to expose the latest sham regarding a cancelled Rhode Island legislative committee on, “Make all kids sleep again.” This, where Mr. Douglas and Carolyn Mark, chairwoman of the East Greenwich School Committee, the supposed “experts,” were to testify, and the official notice of the meeting stated, “No public testimony will be accepted at this hearing.”

Only in Rhode Island!

In his latest letter, Mr. Douglas did everything he could to wiggle off the hook, quite unsuccessfully. He failed to explain his involvement behind this bill, (H5888). And this is transparency? His defense was as thin as Hillary’s, “there’s nothing to those 30,000 deleted emails.” 

Let’s take a look at his recent letter to the editor logic.

First, the School Start Time initiative is good because most people voted for current school committee members who had the highest vote totals. Perhaps Mr. Douglas can read people’s minds when they vote. But residents could have voted for them because they had kids in school at the same time, are members of the Barrington Yacht Club or other social groups, are neighbors, she’s an incumbent or they supported the new middle school. There could be a thousand reasons. This is codswallop!

Secondly, the start time initiative is good due to selected research. Here’s an excerpt from the The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines website for teenagers:

• Teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health.

Most studies suggest similar guidelines. As a parent of three sons who graduated from BHS (with a start time of 7:45), my wife and I made certain that our children had the rest they needed, (despite many of their peers who had no curfew) and it was within the AAP guidelines. So this is news? I have a three-word answer for your “Sleepy-Science.” Be a parent!

Mr. Douglas, perhaps you can answer these questions:

• How as a member of the Committee on Appropriations, do you plan to represent ALL taxpayers, given your unconditional support of this half-baked ruse?

• Did you tell your wife, the school committee or the superintendent that you were to represent the “school department,” as implied on the legislative agenda?

Many are mystified that you continue to support this “unfunded mandate” when our two elected state representatives, the current town council, at least two school committee members, a majority of the Barrington Teachers' Association, hundreds of parents and students in this town don’t support it. Most of the aforementioned wouldn’t support it even if it were funded.

Your “logic” is as sound as a chocolate teapot. Your opinion is an intrusion into parental responsibility and does not weigh the negative impact to younger school children’s sleep needs, before and after school activities, as well as the needs of families to balance school, child care and work.

Given everything, is there any chance, despite your undying devotion to this divisive initiative, that you’d consider resigning your position? That indeed would be a New Year’s gift to the town.

Scott Fuller

Barrington

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.