INFURIATED BY COMMENTS

Coun. Jenny Gerbasi's comments regarding cocaine being sold in a city
high school infuriate me. The comments were, at the least, naive,
and, at the worst, deliberately provocative, publicity-seeking,
irresponsible ramblings. If the councillor has knowledge of this
activity and is legitimately concerned, she should be informing the
school first and foremost. As a parent of children who attend that
school, she should offer her services in attempting to solve problems
such as these. They are not school problems exclusively. We all own
the problem.

I am willing to bet that drugs are or have been bought and sold in
every high school in this country -- in washrooms, in hallways, in
alcoves, in the schoolyard and even in classrooms. But unless we
eliminate high schools, this activity will continue. I believe,
however, that we can manage these problems with co-operative
community efforts. Perhaps a police presence in schools is one
strategy but finger-pointing and irresponsible comments without
offers of assistance and/or solutions are extremely detrimental to a
school and the people inside. We can all run around saying there are
drugs in that school but how many of us (including Gerbasi) are
supporting our local schools in managing this problem?

Gail Conrad Davey

Lac du Bonnet