In response to a couple of letters over the past week with regards to a lack or respect for our outdoor recreational facilities, I feel compelled to throw my two cents in. I am in complete agreement with Jim Moorhead, who stated, “I do recognize that many of the younger generation are very respectful, but too many are going to the dark side for my liking.”

I feel the same. Not only is the evidence ever increasing in our outdoor facilities, parks, etc., but everywhere. I commute an hour west of town five days a week to work. It is a very common site to see the “younger generation” throwing all kinds of garbage, including glass bottles out their moving vehicles. But even that may only be the tip of the iceberg that is to come.

I’m 42 and was raised a hard working farm boy, to be honest and respectful of both my natural surroundings as well as everyone around me. But even in my generation I often feel out of place. With so many (no not all, but many) of today’s parents themselves setting examples of disrespect, lying, stealing, cheating anybody and everybody in order to get ahead, etc. etc., to their children, I often wonder what the world is going to look like when all of their children are all grown up and ruling the world.

Many places around town (as well as in many other communities for that matter) it is common to find ever-younger children out late at night doing who knows what and being influenced by who knows whom, and in all likelihood without any concern from their parents. But we as a society are going to pay dearly for these ways in the future.

It is very frustrating to see our outdoor places treated as they are.     But I believe that this is only the beginning. The very thought of what this world will be like to live in 20 years from now is actually quite scary. 

PAUL HIEBERT

Kamloops