Sounding Off!
In March, Coolidge's Rootz youth learned a lot about editorials and op-eds. They even wrote their own editorials sounding off on important issues that affect their community. Check out Tommy and Shanay's editorial concerning D.C. Metro Transit's treatment of teenagers. Because of their thorough work, our Coolidge members decided that the topic of their class audio project would be Metro's double standards. The question they want to ask: "Are metro officials discriminating against youth? If that's the case, why?". Stay tune for more audio developments.
Everyday youth are being mistreated by metro officials. They are constantly being kicked off the metro for being loud or displaying inappropriate behavior. But there is a double standard when it comes to the behavior of adults. Some adults get on the metro also displaying the same behavior but they suffer no consequences. For instance, metro officials target youth who play their mp3 and I pods loud even though they have a headset on. They also target youth who talk loudly on their cell phone as well as groups of youth talking loudly. But they don’t do the same for the adults.
D.C. has a campaign called RESPECT that educates youth on how to behave on the metro. However, the campaign hasn’t mentioned anything about some of the inappropriate behavior that adults do like smoke on the metro, fight, and be loud and disrespectful to the other passengers, or bring weapons on the metro. Some actions written in the campaign are understandable for instance if someone isn’t respecting the rules and regulations of the metro they do deserve to be kicked off but some metro transit abuse their authority by cursing at youth who they want to or are trying to put off the metro. This makes the situation worse because in order for them to get respect they have to give it first. Metro officials should go through a youth sensitivity training to teach them how to work with youth better and learn how to not talk to them in an abusive way. By:
Tommie Thompkins & Shanay Hawkins
Calvin Coolidge Senior High School Class of 2010
