Fundraisers at school deserve a sense of humor

The most recent comments regarding principal Jeff Rickert's fundraising event has forced me to write something on his behalf.

I wasn't able to see the event in person. I saw the picture in the Thousand Oaks Acorn after it happened. I guess you could say I saw it "tape" delayed.

When my family and I saw it, we had a good long laugh. Why? Because it was funny. That's all.

Funny.

Come on people, snap out of it! It was a harmless event which raised money for educational enrichment programs. In sharp contrast to many of the comments I read, the "message" was simply, "Let's raise a little money and have some fun along the way."

I'm sorry, folks, but if you were to meet Mr. Rickert and see what he's done for our school, you would agree that he's an exceptional principal and a very good sport. David DeLong Thousand Oaks

Rickert was depicted in a photograph in our Oct. 11 edition. He allowed a group of youngsters who had raised money for the school to place duct tape around him while he was elevated on a pole. When the kids were finished, the ladder was removed and Rickert remained suspended in the air. The incident was criticized in several letters as setting a bad example for children. Rickert was also staunchly defended in other letters.