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Letter: Vail councilmen should be scolded

Scott Elliott, West Vail

I am writing this letter in response to your article of the public scolding of two 17-year-old high school students.

I need to set one thing straight before I comment on your article, what the young men did was everything councilwomen Kim Newbury and Margaret Rogers said, unacceptable, disgusting, (my 5-year-old daughter also plays in Donavon Park), and stupid. I also know one of the young men personally so this hits home a little more.

One needs to ask who are the 17-year-olds here, the two young men or the two councilmen that were quoted? As angry as I am that this happened it seems as if the councilmen took this far beyond being respectful. Here are two young men who turned themselves in, admitted their guilt, knew what they did was stupid and disrespectful and above all knew they had made a huge mistake. They came to apologize and yes, they deserved to be scolded. It’s in the manner they were scolded by Mr. Farrow Hitt and Mr. dick Cleveland that has me alarmed ” “Thanks for nothing, coming in here and screwing our town up?” You’re supposed to be one of Vail’s leaders and you let that pubescent quote escape from your mouth in a public forum? You, Mr. Hitt, should be ashamed. Maybe you should have prepared a statement so as not to have embarrassed the whole town.



The other half of this is our mayor, who threw a fit of rage because these young men would not snitch out the other accomplices. Screaming and yelling at these two young men to give up the other kid’s names that were involved? How juvenile! You, sir ,should be ashamed as well. No compassion or empathy, just pure anger emitted from the written word as I read your quotes in the article. Do you have any idea of the ramifications of snitching out your friends in high school or in life for that matter? I know that with your investigative and police background it may seem right, and in some cases it is, but to demand it in a public meeting as you did is absurd.

To the young men who stepped forward, as concerned as I am about the actions you took I must commend you for your integrity and courage after the fact. It is a step to being adults by admitting your guilt and suffering the consequences. The others involved will have to deal with their cowardly actions and guilt for some time to come.


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