Estate comment made me angry

18/ 4/2008

I AM writing in about a comment that was made in the Metro News on Friday, March 14.

I read in the paper an article called "Teen hailed a hero after fire rescue".

I think that this lad was very brave, however, in the article a comment was made that I was not pleased with. I am 14 years of age and turning 15 in April.

I also go to Altrincham College of Arts and feel furious about the comment that was made in the article. I am one of the best students in school, I am in nearly all the top classes, I get A*s, As and Bs in the majority of my coursework.

I am taking many GCSEs early this year because of my high standard of work. I hope I sound like a mature, smart, sensible person, but according to one comment in the article I should be the complete opposite of that.

It said: "You hear a lot about teenagers on council estates being a load of hooligans but there are lots of great kids out there and Paul is one of them."

I feel completely outraged by this. I know many people who live on estates and they are top students.

I will admit I hate living where I live – 2006 and 2007 were the worst years of my life – but it hasn’t stopped me from being the successful, mature, sensible person that I am. I have worked really hard to get the reputation I have and it’s comments like that which make it a waste of time.

Hoodies have been banned from public places because of idiotic people. Not that long ago, people were trying to get rid of the mosquito alarm that teenagers can hear.

Yes, it takes idiotic people off the streets, but it’s taking well-behaved people like me off the streets too.

Just because most estates are run by hooligans that doesn’t mean everybody on the estate is one. I feel people expect me to act and look like a typical council estate resident.

Should I walk around smoking, taking drugs and getting drunk almost every night, wasting my life? I sometimes feel, after hearing or reading comments like that, that I shouldn’t be working so hard on my education – I should just be a sheep and follow the crowd.

I get the worst looks given to me because of who I am, what I am and where I live. But when I am at school I get the upmost respect. I’m getting sick of being treated like the minority.

I do not wish to be discriminated against any longer – this has to stop!

DANIELLE MADELEY

Address supplied

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