This is taking PC to the point of absolute absurdity. A COLOR is offensive? No wonder our education system is in trouble. The absolute idiots are the teachers. We are raising a nation of wimps and petulent, petty fools! See Dr. Stanton Samenow’s book, Before It’s Too Late, on unearned self esteem as a predictor of the criminal mind. –Don

Some teachers prefer purple ink to red

BOSTON, MA, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Some U.S. teachers are finding red ink a bit frightening for pupils, so they're turning to the more soothing purple to correct homework and tests.

Pen makers and office supply superstores have found from focus groups and conversations with teachers that educators are switching to purple, a color they perceive as "friendlier" than red, the Boston Globe said Monday.

"If you see a whole paper of red, it looks pretty frightening," said Sharon Carlson, a health and physical education teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Northampton, Mass. "Purple stands out, but it doesn't look as scary as red."

As a result, Paper Mate has added purple to its assortment of blue, red and green X-Tend pens. Barry Calpino, Paper Mate's vice president and general manager, estimated the company boosted production of purple pens by at least 10 percent, but he said purple would not become a standard color.

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20040823-050133-8251r.htm