Wednesday, July 2, 2003

I am a 16-year-old currently living in Peachtree City. I strongly disagree with the new law that the state wants to put on us. First of all, I agree with Katie Costello and Casey Langbehn. Second of all, I have lived in Peachtree City for over seven years now and I have seen golf carts being used by families and also older elderly residents.

I think that half of the residents in Peachtree City use golf carts to get around so they don't have to go out and buy a brand new car like the other half of the residents do!

Senior citizens that drive golf carts around use them to take their grandchildren out and go golfing and do stuff without having to stress out on the road in a car to just go grocery shopping. Any senior citizen that has retired or doesn't have a job probably let their license expire because they thought that they were going to be able to drive around town to get to the places they needed to go on a golf cart without having to deal with a golf cart!

I believe that the [city ordinance] that was recently passed by letting the 15-year-olds drive with a permit was great! It gave the parents a break from getting up every morning and driving their children to school and stressing out if they were going to have a way to school that morning.

It gave us a chance to finally prove that we can do something and get ourselves to school, without having to worry about if we were going to catch the bus or if we were going to have to walk. That [city ordinance] not only gave us a responsibility but it also gave us freedom!

Now that the state has taken that freedom away from us, it is going to break down this community! People drive through here and see families driving around on golf carts and think this is a wonderful community. When they drive through here now, there is a slim chance that they are going to see any golf carts.

Most of the Peachtree City population that drives golf carts are the younger group (15- to 18-year-olds that don't have licenses) and senior citizens, groups that either can't or wouldn't like to get licenses. Now by not fighting or by letting this law take place you are not only letting down this community, but you are also taking the freedom that teenagers once had!

I'm going to say something again and I'm sure that many people will agree with me: I strongly disagree with this law. I think that you are not only letting down this community but you are also taking all of our freedom.

Justin Parker

Peachtree City, Ga.