To the Editor:

I would like to comment on The Tidewater News opinion on “Selective Concern.” I am not angry about your comments, but I am concerned about the safety of our schools. Newcomers at The Tidewater News may not be aware of how hard many of us crusaded to reduce the loss of lives on “Suicide Strip” (Hwy. 58), by making it dual lanes. Nor were some around when parents, the PTA and local leaders fought for the overpass on Hwy. 35 so that our students would not have to pull out into traffic on Hwy. 58. We fought for over 15 years to accomplish these things. Our children are safer at the high school and middle school, and the reduced speed by Capron Elementary School makes it safer too.

These improvements cost millions, but it was worth every penny to help keep our children from being injured or even killed there. Our children are our most precious assets. To imply that our citizens use our children as a reason to object to a project is incorrect. People don’t artificially create reasons to object to any project. They believe that children’s safety is an important issue.

Our citizens do give a “peep” (TN term) about the safety of all of our children.

Glenn Updike
Newsoms