I agree that the disregard

of speed limits and stop signs is upsetting. This problem is not unique

to Golf View Drive because it happens throughout our city, and is a concern

to parents everywhere.

What I found upsetting in your

letter was that even though you agreed that the problem was not exclusive

to high school students, you chose to only propose a solution that would

affect this age group.

To state that no one under

the age of 18 should be allowed to drive is ludicrous. Today's kids have

much stricter guidelines in obtaining their driver's license than when

we were younger. To state that nobody under the age of 18 is responsible

enough to have a driver's license is as ridiculous as stating anyone over

the age of 70 should not be allowed to drive.

Your solution to make parents

responsible for the driving actions of their children brought back a memory

of receiving my first speeding ticket. I was 16 years old and hurrying

home to beat the dreaded curfew my parents had imposed upon me. Did I

try to blame my parents by telling them if I didn't have such an early

curfew I wouldn't have gotten a ticket? Of course!

Did I really believe that my

parents deserved to be punished because of my actions? Absolutely not!

I would have loved to pass the blame onto someone else, but the truth

is my parents were responsible by setting a curfew, making me take driver's

education and setting rules. Unfortunately, I chose to push the limits.

And I paid the price.

Believe me, the punishment

of paying for the ticket and higher insurance rates along with the severe

grounding I received when I got home helped me learn a valuable lesson.

Part of becoming an adult is being responsible for your own actions, and

not passing the blame onto someone else.

As a parent of a 16-year-old

son and a volunteer on the Peachtree City Youth Council, I am proud to

say that I believe Peachtree City has some of the most responsible teens

in this country. Every teen should not be punished for the irresponsible

actions of a few. I hope that you take the opportunity to get to know

some of these great kids. They are the future of Peachtree City.

We are in agreement that driving

is a privilege, not a right. But I would add that the privilege applies

to all drivers whether they be 16 or 100.

Robin Tennant

[email protected]