I am a former Parry Sound High School graduate, and I was very disturbed by the story you guys did on The Spot and the Opinion (No disrespect, the town tried, November 2, 2012) that was in that paper, (Town of Parry Sound ends The Spot pilot project) your article first of all contradicts itself continuously, and is made from false information. First of all, your problem was vandalism, I attended Parry Sound High School for three years, and I was one of those kids who enjoyed having a smoke with friends at lunch nearly every day, and not once did I witness vandalism, with the exception of the few kids that destroyed the fence - that kind of stuff happens after school. Kids at Mac’s are too scared to do stuff like spray paint, because the town has cops watching the kids every lunch. And I ask, why? We should have our officers investigating cocaine dealers and pedophiles, not watching children relentlessly while they try to enjoy themselves.
Your second problem was littering, and in that article, the town is taking away all the garbages at Mac’s, and yet again, I ask, why? I entirely agree that there are those few kids that throw their garbage on the ground, but most kids will take two more steps to keep their smoking area cleaner. Taking away the garbage cans is not going to solve your littering problem. Also, your Opinion in that issue was very prejudice against the youth of Parry Sound. The Opinion made every person in Parry Sound fit a certain stereotype and age, a suspect from the police. I am personally very upset, because I have to walk past the high school to get to work every day, and because I fit the stereotype and age group, I will be watched by the cops? We as youth should not have to wonder if the cops are watching us or not, it is not fair; in fact, it’s unlawful.  In the Opinion you stated that you tried to be respectful and un-condescending to the youth, but I ask you, if you were at work trying to have a cigarette during your break, and the cops were watching you intently while you did so, would you be happy? Would you consider being spied on constantly un-condescending? Also in the Opinion, you state that you have a peer system, and that it is different and better than ours, and I ask, why are there more adults in jail in Parry Sound than youth? I say our peer system is doing better than yours considering the graduation rate is a lot higher in high school now, than when your generation was in high school, not to mention your drop out rates back than. We are the youth, the future, and if our generation keeps being treated this way, you can say goodbye to CPP and other senior organizations, because a revolution is brewing, and the youth is the pushing force.