Kerry, you have to pay the price of your choices

Kerry, you have

to pay the price of your choices

I am not surprised that the

letters from Kerry FitzPatrick have generated so many responses. I suspect

some readers have reacted as much to her sarcastic tone as to her complaint

itself.

According to our state laws

and county rules, it is legal for Kerry to drive herself to school, justified

or not. We are clearly a nation of people who have chosen the freedom

and convenience of individual vehicles to transport ourselves, and our

families. We reject the use of public transportation, even when it is

readily available and "free" like our taxpayer-funded school

buses.

But if Kerry has a right to

drive, then surely others have an equal right to drive their children

to school if they so choose. Who is, or is not, "spoiled" is

very subjective.

This freedom of mobility comes

at a huge price, of course. In choosing to drive, Kerry must learn to

cope with the inevitable congestion, and the impact of changing conditions

like the weather. When bad weather is forecast, I have prepared to leave

Peachtree City for work at the airport as early as three hours before

my required arrival time, to avoid being late. My system has worked for

20 years, without exception.

Like so many readers, I rode

a bus to school until high school graduation. I also worked from age 13

on, and participated in high school sports. I was a college junior when

I got my first car, with my own money. It can be done many kids still

do it.

Kerry and some of her peers

just choose not to because they and their parents prefer the status and

flexibility of teenagers having cars. So they have to pay the price. Get

over it.

Arriving late for school on

rainy days is purely a result of students' poor planning, not other peoples'

decisions. Try leaving home 30 minutes earlier. Surely an intelligent,

articulate young person like Kerry can learn to take responsibility for

her choices, instead of continually blaming others.

R.D. Welch

Peachtree City