NOTE TO PARENTS: 12-YEAR-OLDS SHOULDN'T BE HANGING OUT AT THE
MALL

Re: "Rock 'n' Ride notorious for drug use, counsellor says; Problem not
limited to one
mall -- or to one drug," The Journal, April 29.
When will parents realize that there is nothing good, nothing positive and
nothing
gained by allowing their 12- to 17-year-olds to hang out at a Rock 'n'
Ride, or any
other event at West Edmonton Mall? There is certainly a lot to lose --
14-year-old
Cassandra Williams' life was taken away by a brief lapse of judgment.

There are 12-year-olds at these events, where drug use is rampant. It
seems like there also are a lot of 12-year-olds hanging around the
mall when they should be home in bed.

It's time for some parents to say no to their children.

Reports of drugs, violence, solicitation and a lot more at WEM and
other locations have been in the news for years.

So why do parents let their children attend these events? If parents
don't know what is going on, then it is their job to find out.

Maybe if more parents were actively parenting and not allowing their
kids to do things they should not, the scum that these events attract
would just go away.

Twelve-year-olds should not be mingling with 17-year-olds at a place
where we know drugs and bad things are rampant. This is not a good
situation.

Robert Belter, Edmonton