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Buchanan's right on Iran
It is rare that I find myself agreeing with Pat Buchanan on anything, but I do agree with his recent op-ed on why Congress cannot reject the recent Iran nuclear deal.
There is no possibility that the US can bring Iran back to the negotiating table by itself, which means that if Congress rejects this deal, the US will be isolated, alone, and without any influence to ensure that Iran doesn't cheat.
DOUGLAS ROBB
FUA deserves attention, too
It is wonderful that WALL\THERAPY is receiving exposure from the various media. Now I'm wondering if the media will lend the same level of exposure to FUA — From Up Above muralists.
For the past 25 years, this group has painted some very creative realistic and abstract visuals. Granted, their murals are in areas where people might be intimidated to venture into. However, their art should be recognized.
FUA's annual project will take place within a month on North Clinton Avenue. Please support them with equal exposure.
LAURIE B. AMMERING
Another way to handle student discipline
I read with interest "Sea change in student discipline" (News, July 29) which discussed restorative justice in city schools. My own knowledge of restorative practices in the RCSD is anecdotal and limited, but I have seen success.
At the Wilson Foundation Academy, I watched restorative justice in action. There, George Payne of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence facilitated the Wilson Nonviolence Education and Empowerment Program.
Most students see in-school suspension as a punitive waste of time, but through authentic conversation, George helped students see alternatives to the harm they were often unwittingly inflicting upon themselves.
Perhaps most promising are school-based Non-Violent Clubs supported by the Gandhi Institute at Frederick Douglass and Wilson Magnet. These clubs provide a forum for young people to honestly discuss overt forms of violence such as hall brawls, as well as everyday experiences such as bullying, intolerance, and incivility.
When I attended, students talked openly about cafeteria melees and out-of-school "knockout games." And students offered solutions by roleplaying how they could break up a fight without calling security.
There is no reason we cannot have a Non-Violent Club in every school. Contact Kit Miller, director of the M.K. Gandhi Institute, to learn how your school can form its own. [email protected]
DAVID KRAMER
Rochester needs Palazzo Plaza
A retail plaza with a Whole Foods store is planned for Monroe Avenue in Brighton.
I am very excited for the development. I know Whole Foods will bring stores that are new to the Rochester region. The Danieles have a real opportunity with this plaza. Bringing much-needed, high-end retail to the wealthiest town in Monroe County will allow my family and me to shop in Rochester and add tax dollars to the economy, instead of only shopping in larger cities while on vacation.
I agree that if we were getting another Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl's, Dick's, or some other bourgeois store, then this development wouldn't be needed. But if the plaza uses modernist architecture, considers bike and pedestrian culture, and brings new shopping alternatives to the area, my family, friends, and I are all for it.
MrRoc