A similar anticapitalist protest happened on the streets of Washington D.C. in mid-April. Police clashed with 10,000 activists, with the worst fighting occurring near the White House. However, forewarned police officers were ready and this time they were successful in preventing a repetition of the melee at the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle in December 1999.

Yet violent assaults remain a troubling aspect of American life. The problem in Texas public schools is a case in point. Last year there were nearly 51,000 assaults against students by other students. Another 3,800 incidents of assault were reported against the teachers and 500 guns were confiscated from pupils.

The state of Texas had already formed a 22-member school violence task force following the tragic events at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. At the center of this committee's recommendations are character education programs. It was wisely recognized at the onset that personal character is the key to the prevention of violent behavior in public schools.

However, this must first be taught in the nation's homes by responsible parents. Teachers cannot completely make up for parental neglect. By age 6 much of a child's character is already formed, and even those teachers imbued with the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job are hard pressed to deal effectively with badly neglected children. ( The Corpus Christi Caller-Times, The Daily Mail (London). )