They say it only takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch, a saying I found to be true last Friday.
The paper received a call letting us know that some teens were uniting for a cause and showing their support for skateboarding. The caller felt it might be something that would interest the community and I agreed.
What I assumed would be a great experience, because it’s important for people to stand up for what they believe in, ended up with them standing up for what they believed in and me getting knocked down in the process.
Upon approaching the group, which featured young middle schoolers through graduate-aged individuals, I identified myself and the paper and was told by one young woman to ‘F*** The Lake Orion Review.? While I wanted to turn around and forget the whole thing, I figured these kids deserved a fair shake; after all, it’s not fair for the poor actions of one individual to outweigh the good actions of a group.
After the ride, I saw an opportunity to grab a photo for the story that showed how many of Orion’s youth united for this cause. During this time, a parent that was present found out about the previous incident. When she tried to talk to the kids about respect, she found herself being faced with the same vulgarity, on a much larger scale, that I was faced with earlier. Needless to say, I left without my picture, the mom was being yelled and sworn at, and I, once again, had the same vulgar statement shouted at me as I was driving away.
Why do I tell you this? It is not because I want to beat up on these kids. The message that these kids wanted to deliver was a valuable one, but it unfortunately got lost in the delivery.
I heard, repeatedly, that this group wants to be accepted and not made to feel like criminals or outcasts. They feel there is no support or respect for this activity they love. For them it’s not a crime, but a passion, a sport. And while I appreciate the talent these kids have, I find it difficult to reward respect when I’m not shown any in return. I imagine others would agree.
They also said that they don’t like to be over generalized because they are skateboarders. It doesn’t mean they do drugs or are criminals; it just means that they love to skateboard. I agree and don’t believe it’s fair to make assumptions about a person’s character based on their interests or how they look, and yet it seems that while I was not judging, I was being judged.
I understand feeling slighted, being upset and maybe even feeling wronged by an adult here and there, but this doesn’t justify disrespect or lack of common courtesy. At some point, if you want a place to be built and funded for you to do this activity that you love; you’re going to need support, and money, from those same adults.
There are a lot of great kids out there that skateboard and do they need a place to do it? Sure, but can it also be a safe and respectful place where anyone is welcome? Of that I am not so sure, but I would love to be proved wrong.
So ending on one final note, you get respect where you give it. And while I may write or take pictures for The Lake Orion Review, I will certainly not do the other thing. Please don’t suggest it.