Mailbag:

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following letters are in response to Steve Smith’s Kids These Days, “Important to dress the part,” Sept. 29.

I appreciated your column today and was compelled to respond to your query regarding the threats directed at out daughter, Hail Ketchum, by way of a Facebook video. You asked, “[W]here does this come from?”

And, while I cannot answer this well in terms of where does this incivility and violence originate, I can tell you that it is perpetuated, protected and even tacitly encouraged here in Newport Beach by some of our schools, our school district officials, and perhaps even the Newport Beach Police Department.

I have a (private) web page that documents what happened to our daughter. I encourage you to take a look at it and see what you think: www.visuality.org/coronadelmarhigh/.

KARYL KETCHUM

Newport Beach

Clothes don’t always make the man

I agree that respect is earned. I think President Obama has earned that respect by living the life he has lived. By all measures of success through perseverance, he deserves respect.

The clothing he wears has little or nothing to do with the way he governs. I cannot agree with your odd premise that the unbelievable action by the three Corona del Mar students can be linked to Obama’s propensity for short sleeves or speaking informally.

His characterization of Kanye West’s behavior using the word “jackass,” thinking that he was speaking off the record, compares to President Bush’s characterizing a reporter as “major league a@##*hole” forgetting that he was on a live mic.

Oddly, I agree with you about uniforms (at least I think that’s what you meant). Uniforms (done with style) would certainly help with the financing part of parenting, and would lead to fewer arguments in the morning.

The real issue here is civility.

At the end of the day, after we have kvetched about the president, media, music, movies, teacher’s dress codes and other targets for incivility, the responsibility always and ultimately rests with the parents.

SANDY ASPER

Newport Beach

Yo, Steve Smith, where’s your tie?

I found it hard to respect Steve Smith’s column today. The reason being he was not wearing a tie and appeared to have on a “spooort” jacket. Who could possibly take him seriously?

JACK PERKINS

Newport Beach