The Knuckleheads of the Day award

Today's winners are Lee County(Florida) School District Superintendent James Browder and high school consultant Herb Wiseman. They get today's award for not allowing the Fort Myers High School band to march in a parade in London England. The reason? Both Mr. Browder and Mr. Wiseman fear another terrorist attack in London.

Oh please! These two supposedly educated people if they would think for a change, would know the risk of dying in going back and forth to school, or many other daily activities at school are higher than being killed by a terrorist. Those are also in the school district's control, but we don't stop the world or let our fears over come us. That's again if we think, which apparently Mr. Browder and Mr. Wiseman aren't doing.

The London organizers are upset and rightly. So are the students. Free trips were even being other, but Browder and Wiseman are digging in their heels. Apparently they want to make themselves into being bigger knuckleheads than they already are by refusing to change their minds. What a pair of fools.

For allowing fear to rule instead of wisdom, Lee County School District Superintendent James Browder and high school consultant Herb Wiseman are today's knuckleheads of the day.

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Lee school officials have turned down a free trip to London to settle a disagreement about the city's safety, still saying London could be too dangerous for student band members.

Meanwhile, a publicist for London's New Year's Day Parade plans to issue a harsh statement today criticizing Lee County school administration for allowing the threat of terrorism to cancel the band trip. One Fort Myers High band member is appealing to Gov. Bush and President Bush.

The school was one of about 20 U.S. bands invited to march in the Jan. 1 parade. But district administration rejected the invite based on lingering concerns from last summer's London subway and bus bombings, which killed 52 people. High-ranking government officials there have joined the charge to squash any fears about terrorism, and are pushing to keep Fort Myers High in the parade.

"We're fighting for the integrity of London," said Robert Bone, the parade's executive director.

"We will not let this slide."

Bone offered to fly Lee County School District Superintendent James Browder and high school consultant Herb Wiseman to London, showing them around the city while reviewing safety precautions. Wiseman said he didn't have time to visit; Browder did not return telephone calls from The News-Press.

Dan Kirkby, communications director for the parade, said he likely will issue a news release today to the British media, and expects outrage when residents hear that any Americans are fearful of spending time in London.

"People in London are going to say 'If America isn't going to support us, why should we support them?' " said Brian Horton, who lives in England and owns a timeshare condominium on Fort Myers Beach.

"We look at the U.S. as our closest friend, and they think we're a dangerous place. What kind of message does that send to us?"

Horton said Europeans continued to visit and offer support to America after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. And despite Florida being battered with hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, they still flocked in droves to the Sunshine State.

LEE WELCOMES 199,332 EUROPEANS LAST YEAR

Last year, Lee County welcomed 199,332 European visitors, of which 87,857 hailed from the United Kingdom. The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, which has an office in London, still is wholeheartedly encouraging Southwest Floridians to travel in Europe, and London in particular.

"Wherever you go, there can be certain dangers; you just have to take precautions," Lee VCB communications director Nancy Hamilton said. "We hope this does not bring a negative reaction, but it could. We'll certainly monitor it."

David Webb, band director at Jefferson Forest High School in Forest, Va., was in London last summer during the bombing. He and other U.S. band directors were touring the city and being briefed about security precautions, a standard orientation that parade officials schedule every year.

"Aside from being very shocked and scared initially, the British government and armed forces had everything under control," Webb said. "By the next day, London was up and running again.

"It's a city with a history a lot deeper than a little pipe bomb."

Webb's principal and Bedford County's superintendent monitored travel advisories from the U.S. government, but felt assured that security would not be a problem. Jefferson Forest marched as scheduled on Jan. 1.

No bands dropped out of the 2006 parade because of the bombings, Bone said, and no other entries in the 2007 parade have declined the invitation.

Fort Myers High sophomore Leilani Martinez, 16, hasn't thrown in the towel. The clarinet player is writing to the governor and the president so they're aware of the situation.

"I feel like I'm missing the trip of a lifetime because the school district is so close-minded," Martinez said. "There are people trying to talk to them, but they aren't even willing to give it a second chance."