Irritating

After all, you have a wonderful choice of options available. Would you prefer to be praised, patronised, verbally abused or simply lectured.

Quite frankly, the issue of 'young people' is becoming rather tedious. It is amazing how many people think they know what to do with 'young people'.

One week, young people are wonderful and terrific, the following week they are a menace to society - enough is enough.

It is difficult to define a young person these days. How old or young do you have to be?

In Addingham we have a situation where pensioners are angry/disgusted/scared by young people. However, we are told this week, the problem has been blown out of all proportion.

Who do we believe? This is a problem not exclusive to Addingham. Our pages have been filled with horror stories of 'rowdy youths' followed a couple of weeks later by someone (usually an adult) defending the youngsters.

This issue needs putting clearly in perspective. A minority of youths are indeed 'rowdy' and every attempt by well meaning adults to find out how they can help will end in disaster.

The age old issue of 'we've nothing to do' is also becoming rather tedious. Yes, not all young people find it easy to amuse themselves, particularly at that age where they are too young to go out for a night in the pub but feel too old for a youth club.

The secret seems to be young and not so young coming together, as with the Youth Forum in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Admittedly, that will not please every young person, indeed every adult, in the village, but if the rest still want to abuse pensioners and swig cider then they can take their chances with the police. Sympathy only extends so far.

Adults, stop moaning for the sake of it. Youngsters, don't give them the ammunition.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.