To whom is may concern;
Youth Curfew legislation has recently been proposed by New York City Councilmen Dennis Gallagher and James Oddo. This legislation is designed to imprison young people within their own homes between the hours of midnight and six am. Police officers would be allowed to ask for identification from any individual whom they believed to be under the age of eighteen. Young people violating the curfew would be forced to perform community service, and their parents could face possible fines.
The National Youth Rights Association is fervently opposed to such a policy, and expressed that view in the October issue of its newsletter NYRA Freedom. Upon reading that publication, fourteen year old Stefan Muller sent a long, respectful, and well articulated email to the sponsors of the bill. Mr. Muller pointed out that youth curfew laws haven proven to be ineffective crime-fighting tools, that they violate the first amendment rights of the people they are supposed to protect, and that many young people in New York leave at around five am in order to get to school on time.
He received a very rude, unprofessional, and offensive reply from Mr. Oddo. New York’s voters should be aware of this. It is shocking that an elected official would speak in such a tone to a well meaning, politically conscious young person who took the time to respectfully articulate his thoughts for Mr. Oddo to read. The full text of Mr. Oddo’s reply is included below.
Reply from Oddo:
Thanks for your e-mail and I appreciate the fact that you articulated
your viewpoint in a rational and cogent manner. A few questions though,
Stefan. Who are you voting for in the Presidential Election this
November? Kerry? Bush? Oh, you mean you can’t vote? Why is that? What
kind of car do you drive? Ford? Jeep? Oh you mean you don’t drive. Why
is that? Why is that you can’t just stay home for the rest of the year
and not go to school? Why?
-Scott Davidson
National Youth Rights Association
(914) 271 3580
SDav...@youthrights.org
Great job Scott. Keep it coming.