Reference is made to a letter to the editor from Kailey Gair, published in the Aug. 10, letters section, under the heading “Safety precautions needed”.
I would like to commend Kailey for publicly expressing her condolences and encouragement to the family of Ida Lynn Marie Holt-Scherer. Kailey’s comments bring a refreshing breath of respect and consideration for those who are going through some very turbulent times.
However, Kailey’s letter also exposed a sense of internal disappointment and judgment on those of us who should be listening to young adults like Kailey. Kailey wrote “I do understand that my suggestions as well as this letter may be ignored, as I am just some moronic teenager”. This part made me ask myself the question, why would Kailey feel this way? Is my generation doing everything we can to encourage the voices of the younger generation? Should we not be encouraging them to express themselves in a way that will positively impact their/our communities? Hopefully the answers we find ourselves giving will empower the younger generation to express themselves more often in the future.
Well done Kailey! Please continue to be sensitive to those who are hurting, and challenging to the rest of us.
Mervin D. Jones
Penticton