RESPECT PEOPLE FOR WHOM YOU WRITE

Re: Police refuse to retract impaired claim, Jan. 13.

I am the best friend of Janette Montgomery, the 17-year-old who was killed
in the car accident on the morning of Aug. 29.

I would like to express my deepest anger to those who linked her to drug
abuse and what she may or may not have been doing the night before she was
killed.

That is enormously disrespectful. Anyone who chose to make such statements
public should imagine it was their daughter, son or best friend being
written about in that manner in the newspaper.

It has been hard enough for her family and friends to deal with this
sadness without the inconsiderate words that have been announced to the world.

I have gone through deep depression during this time and when I read on
Christmas day her mother, also my friend, had to even ask for an apology
for something like this is beyond me.

Janette Montgomery was a beautiful person: her soul was bright and she lit
up everyone's life.

Her musical gift of singing brought us beauty and her contagious
personality would get anyone through any day. There is no scientific proof
she did drugs and if someone were to go to her family or friends and ask if
it was OK to publish something like this about her, they would say, "no".

Maybe this will be a lesson to those who choose to disregard other's
feelings and do anything for a story.

It's unfair and, after someone's death, especially since she is under 18,
these types of things should never, ever be printed.

Janette was more than just a 17-year-old girl who got killed in a car
accident because of drug use or so you've made her seem.

Next time, I beg of you, before something like this happens again, think
and look in your hearts and realize that it does no good; you're writing
for the people, so respect them.

Carlyn Finlay

Newmarket