Suicide is always a terrible thing, but sometimes there is more to the story than what everyone sees or what is writtnn in the paper.

on another note--

Myspace.com does not force your kids to put all their information online...or to put up *provocative* photos. You can't blame the website, you need to blame yourselves for not keeping up with what your kids are doing! I'm 20, and I didn't get away with 1/10 of what teenagers are now. I was home by 9..maybe 10pm, i had no use for a cell phone until I got a car, and I certainly was not dressing like a hooker to go to school.

Society can't take the blame for lousy parenting. You have to be responsible for your own kids, and until they start getting the message, they'll keep getting worse and worse.

And drugs is a huge problem in peachtree city schools because kids have no responsibilities and aren't held accountable for their actions. They ask mommy and daddy for money and then go spend it on pot, coke, meth or whatever is available that week. And it is a lot easier to get a hold of than you might think.

My Space isn't the problem here. Most of the teens who visit myspace do so to find out what is going on in the city and visit with their local friends. It is like everything else in your childs life ,IT NEEDS TO BE MONOTORED!
The drug problem here isn't just in the high schools either, it is in the middle schools as well. It just isn't as prevalent.It's not just the problem of the kids who go around wearing black either. The prep looking teens are just as into as any others.
Part of the problem in my eyes is the lack of activities for teens to do. And please do not come back with anything with the rec. dept because of their actities are focused on the under 12 or over 18 sets. We have no outlets for teens who aren't into sports or church youth groups. We have a large population of teens with no way to expressed themselves . When that happens in a community, trouble with teens usually follows.
On the note of the suicides:
It is difficult to avoid this. At the moment they do it , it may seem there is no other way to end their pain at the moment. It is not a desire to die that pushes them to commit such acts, it is the desire to escape what pain they are feeling at the moment. It is really sad.
For most if they just went to sleep and woke up the next day, it would seem better or at least less painful.
Our children are the most important resource we have. We need to do something as a community to give them outlets.

Leber....that's such a copout. Since when did it become Peachtree City's job to "entertain" the teenagers? I grew up out in the country with nothing to do at night , but I found stuff to entertain myself...and there are millions of other people that did the same. Why is it that PTC's Teens aren't expected to do the same. How many people in Peachtree City have a finished basement that their teenagers could use to entertain ther friends? Oh, that's right they can't sit in the basement and smoke (like they used to do at Waffle House)...so they wouldn't want to do that. And no ones parents want to be up till three in the morning so there little darlings friends can hang out because their parents don't know what a curfew is.

If you want to see what's wrong with PTC's kids...Take a late night (after Midnight) tour around to the Waffle House or Huddle House or Peachtree City in general and see how many under 18 kids you see out roaming around. You'll soon come to realize how many PTC parents ....don't have a clue.

It isn't a copout it is PART of the problem, no venues for teens.
Yes as you stated it is partly a parental problem here too. There are many ascpects to this problem. It is not the cities job to entertain kids but it would be beneficial if there were some kind of entertainment for the teen crowd here, any kind!
Well i happen to be a parent with a basement that lets her kids, and their friends hang out at her house. To me it is better than not knowing what is going on with them on the streets or at the Ave.
I am sure there are kids hanging out at waffle house and the like after hours, i have seen them too. But those are a couple of handfuls of kids, with a high school population of 1000k+ kids in the city as a whole. Yes , parents need to get the idea of "leave it to beaver land" = peachtree city out of their heads. Meaning they need to get a clue but there are good kids here too, with not much to do away from school to blow off steam or entertain themselves.
You say you grew up in the country. I am assuming you grew up 20+ yrs ago at least as I did. I grew up in a bedroom community of Atlanta as we here are today. We entertained ourselves as well, by hanging out at parking lots and parks just like the kids here do. When it comes down to that, it is just the matter of what choices a kid makes. Some will make the right choices, some will tread water until they get to college and some will sink. I can't think like that, you have to be somewhat proactive for the kids who parents don't have a clue. I don't like Hiliary Clintons politically but one thing she said yrs ago is very true. Sometimes it does take a village to raise a child.

I hope you have read my blog post entitled "Peachtree City's Hidden Problems". You make some very valid points. I agree with you that it is the responsibility of the parents to be more in tune with their kid’s life.

But I can also grantee you that their is allot of parents in tune with their kid, setting curfews, helping with school work etc.... that don't realize the epidemic Peachtree City is facing. For example lets say jr. wanted to go to a Billy’s house, now you have met Billy (nice kid) and his parents at a baseball game the day before... little do you know Billy’s parents are actually giving jr. beer when he spends the night!!! How do you avoid this??

The way you avoid it is by two things:

- Show the parents that Peachtree City can not raise your child for you.

- create a venue that the child can go to and the parents can feel safe that there child will be ok...

You see the bottom line is that you may have made the right decisions when you grew up...But our parents today, along with the children are all making the wrong decisions ..... So you need I challenge all citizens to join the "Front Line Campaign" or at least come to the Youth Council Meeting tonight and express your opinions.

Thank you,
Shelby Barker

(Former President of PTCYC, and Current leader of "Front Line Campaign")

Questions or comments
678-371-5322
--email---
shelbybarker@gmail.com

I totally agree kids should be kept away from myspace and other places where personal information is publically accessible. Parental control filtering software is essential, as is keeping the family PC in an open area and logging and reviewing all instant messaging communications. Parents, you are irresponsible if you're not managing your kids' Internet usage.

Hey if you read my blog "Peachtree City's Hidden Problems" you will note I recently graduated in 04'. My space just came out then and I will tell every single parent if you kid has an account you NEED to know what’s on it I PROMISE..... Just go take a look...if you decide to come to the Youth Council meeting... You will see I am calling for the environment and mentality about Peachtree City's youth to change....WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!