Following some "high-profile legal cases that garnered national attention," Merrimack High School Principal, Ken Johnson, has banned props from school year book photographs; a decision too late for Melissa Morin, who had already been photographed holding a red flower. Johnson turned a deaf ear to the pleas of Morin's mother saying, in effect, rules is rules

The case to which Mr Johnson refers concerned Londonderry High School Senior, Blake Douglas, who submitted a year book photograph of himself holding a gun - symbolizing his love of trapshooting. When the picture was prohibited, Douglas argued that his right to personal freedom had been breached. The judge asserted his right to rule against him.

I can understand disallowing the negative imagery of a gun. After all, it is to be hoped that gun toting does not reflect the reality of high school life. But. other than for sufferers of hay fever, I fail to see the negativity in brandishing a flower - symbolism that was adopted by a whole generation to represent love and peace, man.

It is also interesting to note that Ms Morin and her flower can gain entry to the year book if she purchases advertising space on the back page. Mr Johnson, it seems, does not understand the language of flowers, although he does seem to speak fluent money.

Nashua Telegraph