Pubdate: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB) Copyright: 2007 Winnipeg Free Press Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502 Author: Gail Conrad Davey INFURIATED BY COMMENTS Coun. Jenny Gerbasi's comments regarding cocaine being sold in a city high school infuriate me. The comments were, at the least, naive, and, at the worst, deliberately provocative, publicity-seeking, irresponsible ramblings. If the councillor has knowledge of this activity and is legitimately concerned, she should be informing the school first and foremost. As a parent of children who attend that school, she should offer her services in attempting to solve problems such as these. They are not school problems exclusively. We all own the problem. I am willing to bet that drugs are or have been bought and sold in every high school in this country -- in washrooms, in hallways, in alcoves, in the schoolyard and even in classrooms. But unless we eliminate high schools, this activity will continue. I believe, however, that we can manage these problems with co-operative community efforts. Perhaps a police presence in schools is one strategy but finger-pointing and irresponsible comments without offers of assistance and/or solutions are extremely detrimental to a school and the people inside. We can all run around saying there are drugs in that school but how many of us (including Gerbasi) are supporting our local schools in managing this problem? Gail Conrad Davey Lac du Bonnet - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman