Letters to the editor for Sunday, May 25

John McCain believes that under no circumstances should America speak to the leaders of unfriendly foreign nations, and he has been lampooning rival Barack Obama over his willingness to engage in direct talks. We're supposed to believe that the "silent treatment" is going to be a positive step in foreign relations?

Is this American foreign policy, or the fourth grade? What possible harm could come of having diplomatic talks with any foreign leader?

JONATHAN WOLF, LONG PRAIRIE, MINN.

So, the "zipper merge" is causing driver frustration on the Hastings bridge (Star Tribune, May 21). Maybe the merge at that location and on every other road construction project in the state could be better managed if the signage were improved.

A sign that indicates that a lane will be closed ahead just makes responsible people move to the lane that will remain open. To prevent this practice, post a sign that says, "Lanes will merge ahead, stay in your own lane." Then reduce the road speed and near the merge site display a large sign that says, "lanes must alternate when merging."

PHYLLIS ANDERSON, FAIRFAX, MINN.

Kudos to Garrison Keillor, whose May 18 column challenged Americans to once again grab hold of "The Star Spangled Banner." As often as its text uses the plural "we," so ought we to sing our national anthem together, rather than reflect our pop culture modus operandi of relegating it to a soloist while we stand idly by.

This, of course, is a radical call for all of us to relearn the text (and tune), retrain our vocal cords -- which have been given us for a purpose, to use -- and finally to reclaim with great pride one of the gems of our national heritage when we join with one another to thrillingly sing (in the key of "G," which everyone can nicely handle, by the way) of the flag which "waves o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

PAUL H. CHRISTENSON,

RED WING, MINN.

We too quickly draw conclusions about a racial divide from numbers. Your May 18 article about the gap between white and black student suspensions in Minnesota states, "A black student in Minnesota is about six times more likely than a white student to be suspended from school."

Nevertheless, people are not statistics. We create statistics based on the behavior of erratically different people. The statistics tell us that black students achieve suspension at a higher rate than whites, not that "a black student" has a much higher chance of being suspended than "a white student."

Students walk through our school doors as individuals. Hopefully 100 percent of white/black fighters are suspended. The same goes for those who use drugs, tobacco, alcohol, commit vandalism, fight and possess weapons in schools.

ANDY UNSETH, SHAKOPEE

Come get your kids Imagine a school system which required the parents to sign annual agreements which include that they would come to school within two hours to handle their child's behavior problems.

Teachers need to be trained to handle the disruptive behavior of children in school, but we cannot expect K-12 teachers to do the role modeling and parenting job that is the ultimate responsibility of the parents.

BILL PETER, EDINA

Disrupting everyone I am an 11-year veteran teacher who agrees we have a long way to go to make the public education system work better -- and the disparities are far more complex than racial. However, parents who are never in the classroom have no idea what preceded the referral. Even the administrators on whom we rely for back-up do not always realize the variables affecting our decision to send a student out.

Students who are referred out almost always think they're being picked on -- because they're not standing in front of the classroom. They're viewing the situation from their own perspective -- a developmental tendency of most teenagers. Remember that students behave much differently in the classroom, when they have an audience, than they do one-on-one with a sympathetic administrator or parent.

I have never requested that a student be suspended. I do refer students to an administrator when the disruption of one is jeopardizing the education of everyone else in the room. If I have to spend the first 15 minutes of class redirecting the behavior of the same one or two students every day, shouldn't there be a point at which the student is not simply returned to the classroom?

JILL PASSAGE,

WHITE BEAR LAKE TOWNSHIP

A call to responsibility I have taught in St. Paul the last 14 years, and I believe I have a unique perspective when it comes to the suspension gap between black and white students: I'm black and male. These two characteristics have definitely made my job easier when it comes to classroom management and discipline. Unfortunately, this cannot be said for many good teachers who aren't black.

When is the black community (my community) going to take some responsibility? It's always someone else's fault. First, the achievement gap and now a suspension gap. Are you kidding me! Wake up, black people!

We need to teach our children to work twice as hard, just like our parents and grandparents taught us. School is a place to learn.

There is a time and place to clown around. The classroom is not an option.

AARON BENNER, MINNEAPOLIS;

FOURTH-GRADE TEACHER

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Editor's note: To read more letters responding to "Sent Home," go to startribune.com/opinion/letters and click on Netlets for Sunday, May 25.