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mp" Scugog Citizen -- Tuesday, December 14,1993 -- 13 +4 What is happening to our pleasanttown? To the Editor: May I leap into the fray? It is" 12:15 AM. I have just come from 6.5 hours rehearsing plus an earlier three-hour scenery seasion at the Town Hall 1873. An average five days a week over the past two months as well "as every night and several days this week have beer spent assisting a youth group under. Tom and Catherine Millar (put together at their own great personal cost) with one of the most exciting shows ever to be done here, showcasing the considerable talents of some fine young people. And then there are those others. I left a thoroughly disheartened man. After a full day of repairing the ailing (and though some of you out there take cheap shots at doctors, you all rush to them when the works go wrong, don't you?) then six _bouvs of musically training our : on he went out to find that some of our "finer" youth had shot holes in his car. Several cretinous (look it up, you can read, can't you?) individuals had been hanging outside at 11:00 PM with nothing on their minds but hair. On a school night? Such types deserve more pity than contempt, | guess. Tom feels like packing it in. After all, the Millars have tried to give to the community, musically and otherwise. As a teacher and 30-year veteran of "those wars," | know the feeling. On various occasions, | have been threatened with a knife, told I'd have my house burned down and sworn at repeatedly; these are just some of the examples of "youthful expression." Also, as a teacher, 14341 Old Scugog Blackstock, Ontario (905) 986-5096 MONDAY to FRIDAY 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM SATURDAYS 1000 AM to 500 PM on the flip side, I've had some superior life-long relationships develop with former students, many of whom spent anguished hours working through their problems at my expense and time. But parents, do you really know where your children are? Do many of you care? Where were the parents of the car-load of 16-year olds who were pulled over at 1:30 AM October 29 at my driveway in Port Perry by police asking if the kids even knew the accepted date for Halloween? Actually, numbers of our misfortunate youth were warming up by vandalizing the nearby schools----and my innocent neighbours' homes. This year, the community had to tolerate three nights of this hhiah children are--and what they do for entertainment--I could name some names here, by the way) does not believe in what this whole country was originally built on--democracy (look that one up, too) and free speech--and under the cowardly cover of darkness (like the anonymous coward of certain poison pen letters) attacked someone who has the courage of conviction, self discipline and civie-mindedness, someone who dared to write a letter to the press suggesting that certain of our charming youth could do with a little discipline. When discipline and civility aré jettisoned from our society in place favour of violence and' vulgarity, we've got trouble, baby. Parents, take a look at what is happening to our once Pay P h mind. Which gets to my point. Am I angry? You bet I am. You ladies who say we "don't know what it's like to be a parent," forget it. I've been there, raising two teens alone (who did not run with guns or demolish private property) and mentoring over 7,000 of your teens, both in and out of my job description. And I'm still doing it--free-- calls at all hours, just like doctors get, when desperation or disaster strikes, or a caring ear is needed, although I am retired and [ am aging. So when caring people get attacked just because their are caring, I get mad. Voltaire said it: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." It's pretty evident some pathetic child out there (I repeat, do you know where your This Christmas ... Give the ultimate gift of luxury and comfort KNIT FUR LUXURIOUS FUR - INSIDE & OUT ~N Paura LisiMAN INTERNATIONAL Road, Box 280, . Check out the doughnut palaces at 2:00' AM and spot the drug deals, notice the vandalism, wanton destructiveness and home breakins that are escalating. Hear the number of older people who say they fear going out into our town after dark. Listen to the foul and vicious tongues of the dissident 'after hours' youth who would by far be better served at home doing homework and/or studying to enlarge their knowledge than lounging about in the middle of the night insulting retired school teachers--or using a weapon to assault the property of a courageous individual who dared to try to do something for our poor, bored, mis-understood, "recreationally challenged" youth. Nobody every offered me a drop in centre to keep me occupied. I was too busy to need one. If these words serve to make the readership mad, good. I issue them as a challenge to do something positive to take back the night from the cretins, cowards, vandals and vagrants. No one has the right to unleash such creatures on society and not bear responsibility for the same. You would not generally allow your dogs to terrorize a neighbourhood--not without the intervention of the law and a quick trip to the pound--or was that Reform School? Why on earth would you condone bored youths' destruction? I commend my former student Todd Steele for starting something good for dropouts and hangabouts. I commend Tom and all our town's teachers and coaches for the thousands of hours spent with the youth; I commend parents (such as the Lights) who take time to care in, yes, these difficult times (although I refuse to accept the cop-out 'it's society's fault;' we are society); and I challenge parents of teens to get something going that will keep those teens altogether out of situations which encourage the pack mentality and result in idiotic vandalism, destruction of anything and everything in their purview, or even unwanted rides far beyond the city limits to cool out the pack. Or is too much to ask that a little respect for both yourselves and others be instilled and maintained? If you do not want to lose forever the talents of the Millars and other caregivers like them, myself included, who willingly, cheerfully and unstintingly give your children "archways wherethro' gleam untravelled worlds" to life-broadening experiences, then you'd better do something to alter the sorry attitude of some teens--and their parents--fast. All you folks out there for whom I or Tom or others, may have meant something positive, let's rally round the flag. We want to hear from you now! Next Halloween may be too late. We have a wonderful community here, we have pride in it. Now prove it. And please nail that embicile with the gun now--before the next target is your child. Yes. I will sign my name to this. Yours respectfully, Diane Lackie, Scugog Township. 241 WICKER & GIFTWARE Open Monday to Friday until 9 PM QUEEN ST., PORT PERRY 985-1965 LIMITED SMALL to PLUS SIZES /, Leet Henshall's: Lower Level of Henshall"s