SOUNDING BOARD -- PAULA and JOHN MADISON Jr.

I think reporter Lolita Harper’s mother had it right (“Pastor

impropriety rings some deja vu,” Oct. 5). This “rag” ought to go directly

to the trash can. Why is the Jim Ferryman issue still front-page news

(“School trustee suspected of drunk driving,” Oct. 1)?

Now we have Wendy Leece -- how did she ever get elected to the school

board? -- chiming in with her two cents that Ferryman ought to resign

because “there are laws that we have to conform to and there are

consequences even when we as leaders break the laws (‘Trustee: Ferryman

should resign if guilty,’ Oct. 5).” While wondering to whom she may be

referring with “we leaders,” has Ferryman been found guilty between

Monday and Friday without our notice?

I thought Leece was of the “don’t judge lest ye be judged” ilk.

Shouldn’t a school board member whose major contributions include trying

to hang the Ten Commandments on school room walls or trying to ban

certain books from our school libraries know that the Constitution of the

United States is also the law of the land? Should Leece step down because

her transgressions against our entire community -- of course, excepting

her own congregation and the Religious Right -- include these violations

of the equal protection, free speech and separation of church and state

clauses/doctrines?

The Pilot still finds room in the column to plant another reference to

Ferryman being one of the board members who recently asked the community

to revisit the school district’s zero-tolerance policy on drugs and

alcohol. Let’s see now, the Pilot splashes the front-page headlines with

Ferryman’s DUI arrest, casually notes that he’s the same trustee asking

to revisit the zero-tolerance policy on drugs and alcohol, throws in the

official opinion of the local branch of the Religious Right. Hmm. What to

do? What to do?

* PAULA and JOHN MADISON Jr. are Newport Beach residents.