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Mink m mlwrftmm "ur mailing address m 7W1 W St N llnn Pawmrehoo NHIP2 I J] Ma..." Mlhhrauolls Mall 8dr) ProU nu Mreerrsem Nurrshet 104150478 Thr Waterloo I hronirle wrk "mes letters In the him" may should hr nmrtmf mm mm, adrhrss and phone number and will be srrttird 1m MK‘LYK‘Y No unsigned but“ Will be puhluhrd Suhrmswlnns mlv be edited In. mum. «a plow hrhrirf In!“ Renal Matr Miller - Putna- Spud-I Prom-n MW 53-3050. Pat. M Mmm.m Sub.En.&i Amhm Bailey “not, Ell. 215 Inlrrrmu: I I Id] \lanuald henal Nundaet hm“ w,tirioorurori" I mm Mann r Boh Yanydu Letters Policy :ii:y1ktrw, an}: “811.22! ISSN (Nk32-34 tn T Bub Wham 15 Spofll Editor, Ext. 729 rm ulalinn 27.31% m Incl m 11tah lrr.t,tas ' M Norma l \'l a Audited Bill pm u ra um I --w lo llll‘h‘. " “H lull. Taking hack tNIP responsibility The aggresswe posturinii,. the verbal taunts, the hoodies pulled up over their heads 10 cover their faces. ln between watching for a break in the trattic as I pulled out of the gas station. I didn't like how this group of about 20 kids was approaching a much smaller group of boys in front of them. And then it started without warning. Swarming like a school of Piranha, these kids swallowed up the much smaller group like they were prey. A fluri'y of activity on the outside of this swirling mass of testosterone gone wrong obscured what was going on in the centre of the melee. mumbling Just thdu't look right as a group at Slums turrted the corner m hum ot tlte durmg il run“ trip to a car wash, You ever get that feeling that sunwlhing's going to happen and attribute it tt? intuition, when in truth the visual cues were right there in trorlt of you? Finally. one of the boys broke free and bolted om into a major arterial road, more scared of who was pursuing him than the fear ufoncoming trafrur. And il was ugly in its viciousness as four or five of these thugs chased him down and began pum- melling the boy. who looked no older than 14. right in the middle of the road. l was shocked as the scene played out before This was Hollywood- I "U†type violence that shook VRBANAC the banality of my day. This happens on our TV sets at home, not in real life. Fists and feet were lv- ing as the boy crumpled over in a heap. I was out doing errands. including picking up my son. Duke. from his grandparents' place, when the thin veneer of civility that holds our society together was ripped apart to reveal the potential ugliness undemeath. t was about to get out of my car and step in when I remembered my son was strapped in the baby seat in the back. I hoped he couldnt see what was going on. and I wasn't prepared to leave him alone. So I did the only thing I could think (If and laid on the horn, hoping to get their attention and let them know what they were doing was being wit- messed. It seems a few other drivers got the same idea as traffic came to a dead Mop and they started plead- ing with their horns for it to end. The police were called and were quickly on the srene as these lowliles slinkod hack into the shad- ows that spawned them. "That commotion must of unnerved them as the hoodlums bolted like the cowards they were when challenged over their antisocial behaviour. Vorturiateiy. the teen didn't look the worse for wear. He was even more fortunate that so many people slapped In help him. iheacs, ho telling when it did In his sense of safety and security, howevcr, as well as his grlwrnl sense of well-being, Being a victim of attack like that "m'. it takcs a lung time to uhakr' off the feelings of help lesuwss, and hopvlessness that follow. The only good that tame out of it is that the pen ple who saw the attack refused to remain passive. They intervvned when it would have been iusl as easy m drive hy Thath something for all of us m remember m what prnmvsm In be a lung. hot surnmpr Maybe the willingness to art will scare thew morons from doing something similar again in the future. At lr-asl they know people am watching, and aren't afraid In do something about it. It's our responsibility as murh it's that of the police. our lawmakers. or the rmms m maintain a civil society. Iwas sitting in my friend's car on Saturday when I heard the most recent Amber Alert The search was on for a two-year-old Toronto boy and his father. who was wanted in the murder of the boy's mother. Police believed the man left with his son and they feared for the little boy's safety. l was thinking about the boy returning home when my friend interrupted my thoughts. "What's the point of an Amber Alert any- way?" she asked. "R's not like they are going to stop people from kidnapping kids. Plus, what are the chances of them finding the baby?" fcouldnt believe those works were com- ing from my friend. a girl who is usually a lot more sensitive and, optimistic. _ I told her that I believe Amber Alerts are a necessity when it comes to find- ing -H-- and saving - a missing - child. An Amber Alert. created in 1996 after the kidnapping and murder of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman. is a missing child response program that notifies the public when children are kid mapped by predators. After the alert was issued on Saturday. tips about the boy and his father flowed in. At abom 8:30 pm. Sunday night, the two wcrv found, The little boy was unharmed and is now in the care of children's aid. His father waicharged with first-degree murder in the death of the boy's mother. There are many other success stories as well. An alert was issued for a "rmonthmld New Moxicn boy after he was taken from his home on May fl, The boy was found unharmed on May l3. TWO young giris were found in Florida on May 12 in good health after an Amber Alter was issued. Elimheth Smart was taken from her own bedroom in June 2002. An Amber Alert was issued and thousands of people called In with tips. Nine months later she was found. Unfortunately. not all Amher Alert rasm have happy endings. Amber alerts are necessary when a child's safety is at stake c.erilfa Zhang went missing from her JENNIFER HOWDEN North York home in October 2003. Despite an alert and multiple pleas from her par- ents, her body was found in Brampton months later. Holly Jones was kidnapped on her way home from a friend's house in Toronto on May l2. 2003. Her remains were found the next day. Amber Alerts inform the public that there is a child in danger and a harmful person on the loose. Once they know the details, peo~ ple keep an extra eye oul for someone meet- ing the description, which can really help in the search. When the Amber Alert was issued for Holly lanes. 1,650 tips came in, If that does- nt prove that alerts work. I dont know what does. Whcn children arc abducted it just reminds us of the dangerous world we now live in and the importance of telling chit- dren m be aware of strangers. Parents need m teach their children at a young age not to talk or go anywhere with a stranger. . Michael Briere. the man who murdered Holly lanes. was found and pleaded guilty to FER first-degree murder. He was DEN handed an automatic life wu- mnte with no chance of parole for 25 years. Thanks to public tips, this man wnn'l gel the chance to hurt anothcr child. ln a perfect world there would he no need for Amber Alerts. Children would ho safe from predators and hr able to play our side without parents worrying. "(Mew-r. we don't live in a perfect world. As long as there are predators om there a system like the Amber Alert is needed in order In get kidnapped children homo safely The police can only do so much and they could use as much help as pos- - sible from the public when try- I 1 ing to find a child. The more ‘ . I people who are on the look out. " I I t the more chances there are of ‘ the child being found. Although many children have not been returned home after an Amber Alert is issued. they have at least helped catch the people who commit thc crime.