[dead]

She didn’t sign the note because she feared that she would be connected to pro-American views and be punished by her school.

Very likely, though she may have also been embarrassed by her penmanship and grammar.

[Oberon]

Very likely, though she may have also been embarrassed by her penmanship and grammar.

Both of which are exemplary by the standards of the average denizen of today's public schools.

Don't get me wrong... there's room for improvement... but she was able at least to mach subject and verb, a skill that eluded many of my collegiate peers.

[Oberon]

Typo alert! "...but she was able at least to match subject and verb."

Perhaps these fellows really were my peers. Funny, I don't remember going to Appalachian State...

[general_re]

Very likely, though she may have also been embarrassed by her penmanship and grammar.

Aside from one spelling error ("speach"), the grammar and usage looks okay to me at a glance. And her handwriting is better than my doctor's ;)

[keithtoo]

THINK a little bit. She obviously was writing this letter on the spur of the moment and was probably trying to hide that she was even writing it. He has it right, this girl was afraid of being found out by the Stalinists who run that sad school.

Forget penmanship, her hands were probably shaking as she wrote it. This girl was brave to even do this.

[Maelstrom]

I grew up in that area.

No, she was scared.

Had she had a name or address on that note, she knows -- probably from experience, that she would be ostracized, ridiculed, bullied without consequence for the bullies, robbed, as well as see her grades drop by at least a letter grade without respect to consistent grading.

You have no idea what Ithaca is like.

But keep your chin up, the things I've listed are liberals "taking it easy" on her because she's a kid.

[Phantom Lord]

I have absolutely horrible penmanship. My boss will not let me write anything that has to be read by him or anyone else. I must print it out on the computer or send it by email. My writing makes doctors looks like caligraphers. My grammer sucks too. But it doesnt stop me from putting my opinions or observations forward. And I put my name to it.