'Wow.' That was my first response when I read 'Barefoot Blunders' the other day. While I am grateful that such Honor Code conscious students are among us, I wonder if perhaps there might be more pressing concerns than the occasional appearance of bare feet on campus.
It is ridiculous for this young, Pharisee-esque man to be so concerned with the bare feet he sees on campus and in The Daily Universe. I seriously doubt that anyone will be denied salvation because of inappropriate foot exposure on the BYU campus. (So for all of you whose souls felt wracked with guilt after reading his letter, I don't think you need to worry.)
While I agree that rules as stated in the Honor Code need to be followed, it is this letter-of-the-law attitude that characterized the Scribes and Pharisees and should be avoided. Perhaps many of us had forgotten that the Honor Code explicitly states that shoes are to be worn at all times, so this letter may have served as a nice reminder. However, why are we focusing on feet? What about all the bare midriffs, low-cut shirts, short skirts, etc. A general reminder to dress modestly would have sufficed, rather than focusing on some random clause in the Honor Code about wearing shoes.
I am grateful to be at BYU where church standards are usually extremely well represented. I hope that others can join me in appreciating the positive atmosphere without dwelling too much on petty 'problems' such as shoe-less feet.
Cammie Beckstead
Grand Junction, Colorado