 By Bill Thomas Sr. February 21, 2007
In reference to the fine letter of appeal encouraging parents and anyone involved with indoor soccer to attend Tuesday night's Ketchikan Borough Assembly meeting, I wasn't aware of the resolution mentioned by Mr. Doherty which was well stated, I might add, The youth in this community like other communities are in peril. When there isn't affordable, wholesome, interactive ways to capture the interest of the youth, where do they generally wind up? And what do they do instead? These are probably difficult questions for many in local government, but most parents and young people recognize this as genocide directed at our youth and those that are academically, socially or at a financial disadvantage. The youth of this community possess some of our country's greatest assets. But rather than tapping those important assets, we squash them as though they were cockroaches. That is far from being the case. They are not something to squash, but to inspire and encourage. We owe thanks to the adults that take valuable time to direct these energies in a productive direction that requires responsibility and commitment during the course of maturing. Too often, we forget our days of youth and the dreams and ambitions we had and the we were inspired by those that cared and saw to it that our dreams were made possible to achieve as we matured. Sure, we made mistakes along the way. But, it was the parents and those persons in government that were integrated with the pulse of the community. I like many others in this community am retired and I'm thankful for the opportunities, not opposition to my success in my education, electives and ultimately, my career. During my career, I've had the pleasure of working with the youth of this community. I enjoy seeing the results of their labor and pursuing their dreams. They have become leaders in various capacities, working in industry that supports the pulse and economy of Ketchikan. As a government, let us find obvious avenues to assist our youth in their healthful and wholesome activities. Let's keep our public facilities open and affordable. Don't discourage the assets and potential of our youth. That is all they ask and that is a small price. Instead of discouraging a wholesome
environment for Ketchikan, let's step up the fight against government
and enforcement corruption and the availability of illegal and
prescription drugs in excess that are sold on the streets to
those same people that can otherwise be part of a sports program
or an organization that promotes asset building in Ketchikan.
Bill Thomas Sr. About: "Long time youth advocate" Related Viewpoint:
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