November 1, 1995

The North Attleboro Free Press

Teens cite problems with proposed center in town

To the editor:

Though we are not against the proposed teen center, we do object to several points.

  1. The lack of requested input from teens whom this project will affect.
  2. The fact that organizers seem to believe that if you throw enough money at a problem, it will go away.
  3. The attempt to create a controlled environment.

The last point is the most important. We see this as a case of “mall envy.” An overprotective environment will leave us wide open later in life when events occur over which we have no control.

It also robs us of our self-esteem and self-confidence. We do not want to be controlled; perhaps this is why we have so many intergenerational problems.

The Youth Action Committee understands that some money is necessary to get projects going, but money cannot replace love.

We are very interested in opening a dialogue to correct these problems.

Chris Miller, for The Youth Action Committee

Attleboro