Students Speak Out on Clinton

Editor’s note: As part of an assignment, students in teacher Boi Hien’s 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade English classes at Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga wrote letters to the editor giving their opinions about the President Clinton-Monica Lewinsky controversy. This is a sample of the responses:

* When the whole Clinton / Lewinsky scandal broke out, I was surprised [at] how someone could say something like that about a man I had great respect for. I thought a person whom many admired could never do a thing like that. I remember seeing Bill Clinton on TV and him clearly stating that he had not had sexual contact with Lewinsky and me believing him. Then on another occasion I saw him apologizing because he had lied. All I thought was, a person whom I had great respect for lied to me. At that point, I lost all of my respect for the president.

I think the right thing for Bill Clinton to do is to resign. I think he has done a great job with economy, education and many more things, but I do not think that many people will respect him and certainly not believe him.

I don’t care what he does in his sex life, but I do care if he lies, let alone under oath. The scandal is hurting our country and most importantly his family. I think to save him and his family from humiliation he should resign.

Clinton is a liar. I do not want a president who is a liar. He should be setting an example for everyone around the world and, needless to say, he has not been setting a good example.

JORGE RIVAS

Age 15

* I think that he should resign, not only for his misconduct with Monica Lewinsky, but for lying under oath. He was not only lying to the jury, but to the whole country. Once he was voted for president, our trust was in his hands. How can we believe the next thing he says if he has already abused his power? I think he should resign, and I also think that we should forgive him.

YARELL CASTELLANOS

Age 15

* I have mixed emotions about what should happen to President Clinton. On one hand, I think he’s made a lot of good decisions for the United States. On the other hand, I think he should be treated like any other employee and be impeached. If any other person were having sexual activities while on the job, they’d be fired.

Whatever they choose, I think they should think long and hard and consider how it’s going to affect everyone.

HAILEY FLANAGAN

Age 15

* I don’t really care for what President Clinton did or what got done to him. However I want to make something clear: Presidents have been having affairs in the White House since America became independent, so why make such a big deal about it? If he did, so what? He’s a person too. Just because he’s the president doesn’t mean he has to be perfect. Everybody makes mistakes, and as long as he learns from it he deserves another chance.

People should start to remember the great service he’s done for this country, not what he does to please himself.

DANIEL MARTINEZ

Age 16

* I feel that we should leave him alone, because he’s a good man. Everybody knows what he did was wrong, and it’s all in the past. If he wants to resign, let him. It’s his choice. So why not forget about this situation and let him be the president of the United States?

STEVEN LY

Age 15

* My opinion on this situation is quite strong. I feel it is completely unfair and unrealistic to consider impeaching the president. He did nothing that affected the way this country is run. He did do something, however, that I’m sure many, many other presidents have done; Clinton just got caught.

I have heard the arguments about what kind of example is he setting for the children of this country? What’s so different about what he did and what your child can turn on the television or the radio and see and hear about? Your child can pick up a magazine and read about it. Our country is surrounded by sex-related topics. President Clinton didn’t teach us anything that we already didn’t know.

MEAGAN ALONZO

Age 15

* The way I feel is that the media should leave this one alone and let him do his job. If he did have “sexual relations” with anyone other than his wife, then the Clintons themselves have a problem to deal with, not the rest of the world.

MIKE HARTGRAVES

Age 16