Dear editor:

There has certainly been a voluminous amount of buzz around Niles (and across America) about the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition! This should come as no surprise to anyone since according to the Chicago Tribune “SI’s Swimsuit Issue is the most anticipated sports publication each year.” This season’s offering is making an even bigger splash than usual due to the local connection Niles shares with the truly lovely cover model, Kate Upton.

Reporter Donna Ward continued in the same Tribune column about Ms. Upton’s being named the grand marshal for this year’s Daytona 500.  Speedway President Joie Chitwood crooned, “Kate will have hearts racing around the world.”

Indeed, and around the schools as well. The spring Niles High School musical is now rehearsing “The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music”… but in fact “The Halls” are more alive than the hills right now.

In a time when our community has suffered the loss of a local coach/policeman, the conviction of five dear boys and the suicide of another community leader (all due to sexually charged crimes inspired by our sexually charged culture), the last thing we need right now is for hearts to once again begin “racing.”

In a recent Yahoo.com article about Ms. Upton dated Feb. 14, 2012, columnist Kathleen Perricone wrote that after being discovered and signed at the age of 15, she “soon enough … was appearing in swimsuit and lingerie campaigns…” adding, it’s a “Good thing she’s not modest!”

Later in the piece, Perricone reported that the young “stunner” is turning heads on NFL sidelines as well.

“Last July, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski tweeted a few, er, forward messages to the buxom teen, including a shirtless photo of himself making lewd gestures.” Did this occur until charges were filed? Or perhaps until a cease and desist order was issued?

Evidently not… After all, in the grown up world of the barely legal, that which would put one person in jail puts another on Letterman.

The article goes on to say, “But there’s another football star who has managed to score a touchdown with the top model: Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.” “Although the two claim to be just friends, eyewitnesses have spied the hunk … doing the walk of shame out of Upton’s NYC apartment a number of times over the last few months.”

I believe it appropriate at this moment for all of us (myself included) to take a “gut check” of sorts after reading the previous lines. Are you saying within yourself, “lucky guys,” or “poor girl?” Our answer to that question says it all.

So remember kids, a picture on someone’s phone of a 17-year-old girl in her underwear can make you either a criminal or a victim, but the same shot of an 18- or 19-year-old girl in “designer” underwear can make you the envy of all your buddies or even a celebrity!

Young men of Niles, don’t do something dumb with your smart phone; and girls, obey the school “dress code” (for at least another year or two) until you become a part of the grown-up world where sending bare-chested “lewd gestures” via electronic media is considered flattering, and immodesty can make you a good living.  It may not be right, but at least it will be legal.

Any reader whose concern for this beautiful young woman goes beyond skin deep, will continue to pray for her that our culture of “disposable celebrities” will not cast her aside as well once the “eye candy” has lost its savor.

Pastor Jeff Whittaker

Niles