STOP BLAMECASTING

"For now the focus has shifted much to the school and we're trying to
find out if the school had a good enough drug program in place to
prevent this type of thing from happening" -Rob Lurie, CTV News,
February 8, 2006.

In the wake of the recent death of a young member of our community, I
am shocked and disappointed at the reactions of many, who in keeping
with a long-standing tradition in Hudson, insist on turning a blind
eye to the harsh truth before us and instead search for an easy scapegoat.

I take great offense at the implications currently put forth by many
members of the press, bored and starved for "juicier details" at the
time of my writing this letter, that the school is somehow tragically
negligent, guilty and responsible for the events that have occurred.

But what strikes me as even more tragic is the silent support this
theory seems to have found among many of us, clearly looking for a
quick absolution and a comfortable answer in uncomfortable times.

I have some uncomfortable questions:

What has happened to the concept of personal responsibility?

When did we decide that schools were responsible for raising our children?

How dare we vilify the people upon whom so many of society's children
are simply "dumped" every day?

These are professionals who fight the good fight against great odds
to help all our young people achieve their fullest potential. These
hardworking individuals have always received inadequate support from
our government at the best of times, and now it has become
increasingly clear that they can expect little better from our
society and even our own community.

I am wholeheartedly ashamed.

I am a graduate of Hudson High School, now known as Westwood High. I
feel I would be remiss if I did not declare my support for a school
and staff that were of great positive influence in my life, and
always attempted to do the best they could for me with the tools they
were given.

Growing up in this little town is a unique and challenging
experience. It is made even more challenging by the lack of support
and respect our young people receive from many citizens, the ready
availability of drugs and alcohol that comes with living in an
affluent area (often from parents' own stashes), the lack of
"anything better to do", law enforcement that for years turned its
head the other way, and now worst of all, the idea that personal
responsibility is somehow an irrelevant concept.

We are doing our youth a disservice by treating them like idiots. We
are doing our community an even greater disservice by rushing about
pointing fingers and laying blame willy-nilly in a break-neck attempt
to make ourselves feel safe again.

We as a community need to face facts and accept that the truthful
answer is almost always the most difficult to swallow.

My heart goes out to the families and friends.

Caitlyn Bowser