Signing Pledge One Small Step
Re: “Signing pledge won’t solve problem” (Our Generation, Aug. 9):
In the immortal words of Cyndi Lauper, “girls just wanna have fu-un.” So, when I saw a chance to get Club Spokane and City Dance reopened, I jumped at it. I wasn’t trying to seem “holier than thou” or prove a point. I just wanted to be able to go dancing after a difficult day at work.
Most of the people I work with can, but the dang place they go has a bar. That puts me out of luck. I think that the other people who signed the pledge were after the same thing — they just want to have the club. By signing that little piece of paper, I was not under the impression it guaranteed me immediate entrance to heaven. I wasn’t saying that I’m not violent or competitive or going to heck-in-a-hand-basket; I was just saying that I’ll behave myself there. I’ll be on my best behavior if it means having a great teen hangout. Several clubs like this have tried and failed on the west side of the state, so why not crawl out from under Seattle’s shadow by getting something like this to work?
If you agree to what the pledge states, sign it. If you don’t, don’t. Just because you feel like you’re making a moral statement doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. It is essential that teens say that we aren’t what some “weeds” make us out to be. By announcing to the community and the club’s management that we do want the responsibility the club entails and will behave, we are doing that. It’s a sign of good faith. Those who signed weren’t guaranteed admission on a crowded night, or free drinks or instant fame. They wanted to show good faith by agreeing to the guidelines given in the paper.
I don’t consider myself any better than anyone who doesn’t get his or her name listed, and I believe that many who won’t be acknowledged agree nonetheless. But letting it be known is the best way. You stated in your article, “I find it impossible to make a difference by signing this and assuring society that propriety is still in place among teens.” But if every teen in this city who wants this club as bad as I do were to sign a pledge, our parents and teachers and neighbors could look at the sheer volume of response and say, “hey, that’s an OK place for my kids to go.” They won’t have to be worried about drugs or alcohol or some college students crashing the party, and we can all have a good time without parental supervision. Saying that you can’t make a difference and subsequently not doing anything is passive, and then nothing happens. You are one among many, and there is power in numbers.
To see the pledge and those who have signed it, go to http://ourgen.spokane.net