Teach your children well We all remember the still-recent tragedy of the little group of young men from Bird Rock and La Jolla who ended up convicted on a variety of criminal charges including murder in the needless death of another young La Jolla man. What have we learned from this incident? Very little, judging from what I witnessed the other day at a bluff overlooking the beach. A young father was instructing his two sons on throwing rocks from the top of the bluff — never a good idea, since they couldn’t see whether or not there was anyone below. As I came closer, the man was telling his children, “That’s what we do to surfers we don’t like — we throw rocks at them.” Unless we can find some way to inject common sense into people, senseless violence will continue to ruin lives. Parents, please! Teach your children well. Winston Davis, La Jolla Keep a watchful eye On Thursday, Oct. 1 shortly before 1 p.m., immediately before reading your news item “Woman robs shop, escapes on bike” (Village News, Oct. 1, page 3), I returned to my home to find a white pickup truck parked in front of my house. (This is unusual because we live some distance from La Jolla Scenic Drive North on Sugarman Drive, which is a long cul-de-sac. People rarely park in front of our house unless they are visiting someone here.) From the driveway, I phoned my husband to tell him to stand by, because there was a strange truck parked in front of our home. I checked inside our house, then approached the truck, and saw a woman seated inside. When I asked why she was there, she responded brusquely that “I was sitting here in the shade reading my book, but if you want me to leave, I will” and drove away.   I didn’t think much of it, but then I opened the Village News and read about the armed robber. The description of the robber in your article matches the description of the woman I had just spoken to — a blond, heavier woman in her early 50s, probably around 5’4″, wearing glasses. Of course, this is a fairly common description; just to be on the safe side, however, I notified the San Diego Police. Hope you’ll publish this letter so that others in the area will be aware of this. Susan O’Neill, La Jolla Ban the handshake! Of late, the media has emphasized the need to take precautions against the potentially deadly swine flu by washing hands frequently and getting a flu shot, but my proposal is more radical — a ban on handshaking. My idea will undoubtedly be met with skepticism as shaking hands is a longstanding tradition associated with friendliness and cordiality. In a world where people spend hours facing a computer screen and have increasingly less personal contact with others, some will think this rude, outrageous, even preposterous. But in light of a potential flu pandemic, there is reason to change this antedated custom. It is not feasible in every situation to wash our hands or use antibacterial lotion. As someone with a compromised immune system, I submit this letter to advocate for our children, our frail elderly and those with invisible illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and chronic fatigue syndrome. There is no benign flu. My friend’s 13-year-old diabetic son was just diagnosed with the swine flue and he was up all night throwing up, a dangerous situation for someone with diabetes. Another friend had been bedbound for weeks with this virulent flu. Banning handshakes would be pragmatic and self protective, not anti-social. Furthermore, shaking hands should be prohibited in healthcare settings. Medical professionals are rushed; despite best intentions they may not always have time to clean their hands between patients. We should substitute germ-free greetings such as bows, borrowing from the Japanese, or use the Indian greeting, Namaste. Hands are pressed together in front of the heart and the head bowed downward. Another alternative would be saluting. If saluting is good enough for the military, why not the rest of us? Or we could patriotically hold your right hand over our heart as in the pledge of allegiance. Abolishing handshakes would be awkward initially, but worth it to stay healthier. I put forth this suggestion in earnest. Just say no to handshakes. Lisa Johnson, Point Loma