Anyone?
Greg Meyer
Moscow
At 08:12 PM 2/4/98 -0800, Laurie Danahy wrote:
>Laurie Danahy
>jdanahy@turbonet.com
>
>The usually sparsely populated city council chambers were standing room
>only last Monday night. Both adults and young people turned out to
>demonstrate their support for the proposals brought forth by the Youth Task
>Force in general, and a skate park in particular. One Moscow High School
>Student presented the council with 250 letters, written by fellow students,
>expressing their interest and concern about the activities provided for
>youth in our community. Another student presented a petition signed by 300
>individuals, asking that the council support the creation of a skate park.
>The interesting feature of this petition was that the signers were willing
>to put their time and energy behind their request: they stated they would
>be willing to help build the park and raise the funds needed to make it a
>reality. They weren't asking for a free ride, a new toy delivered on a
>silver platter. They were offering their own services, and inviting the
>community to become a partner.
>
>As I see it, the city council has two options. The first option would be
>to move quickly to capitalize on the excitement and energy of young people
>who have taken the mature step of working through the system to achieve a
>goal which benefits the communtiy as a whole. A commitment to a timeline
>that would result in a skate park within six - nine months would go a long
>way towards persuading understandably sceptical teens that government can
>be responsive. The second option would be to pat these kids on the head,
>and file the letters, petitions, and task force report in a file marked "To
>be considered.... someday." By the time "someday" arrives, many of the
>youth in that room Monday night will have left Moscow, or at least their
>youth, behind.
>
>What we have here, folks, is what those of us in education call "a
>teachable moment." The Moscow city council needs to decide what lesson
>these kids should learn. Should the lesson be that government is ponderous
>and slow, that there's no point in "getting involved" because it won't
>matter anyway?
>
>I would prefer that the young people of Moscow learn that putting forth an
>effort, talking to fellow citizens, making public statements, and working
>for a community cause are worthwhile endeavours. That individuals willing
>to come forward and speak for their peers can make a difference. That
>government, at least at the local level, can work.
>
>I ask the Moscow city council, and the Moscow community, to support the
>efforts of the young people in this town. We have the opportunity to send
>several hundred youth into adulthood believing in citizenship and civic
>responsibility.
>
>Laurie Danahy
>2341 Henry Ct.
>Moscow, ID 83843
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