Skip to content

LETTERS: Shelter for girls and women needed in Langley

Walnut Grove Secondary Writing 11 students have written opinions about topics of concern to them

Dear Editor,

Famous rock singer Steven Tyler opened a women’s shelter outside Atlanta on Feb. 4, 2019, for abused and neglected girls.

The lead singer from Aerosmith named the shelter Janie’s house. The name of his shelter for women was inspired by his hit song Janie’s Got a Gun, from 1989. This song is about a young women who is sexually abused by her father.

Janie’s House is open for young girls and women to help recover from the abuse they suffered from. Tyler kicked off the donations and donated $500,000 so that they can get a better support system.

This hits really hard at home for me, because I have more friends that I can count on one hand and it means a lot that a man is doing this. It just shows that not everyone can be sinful.

I really wish that Langley had something like this for young girls and women here have somewhere to go that specializes in sexual abuse, because this happens everywhere and too often.

Emma S.

Editor’s note: Writing 11 students of Walnut Grove Secondary teacher Vince Rahn were tasked with opinion writing, finding it’s more difficult to put down reasoned arguments than simply tossing out cliches or venting.

“They were able to choose any current relevant topic,” Rahn explained.

Students were graded based on how they presented their information and arguments. The assignment also included having to hand write the pieces and send them to the Langley Advance Times via snail mail, an experience fewer and fewer young people have nowadays. It mirrors an assignment he gave to his students many years ago, before the internet and social media.

“Yes, I have done this quite some time ago, but this time I insisted that they go ‘old school’ and put into an envelope with a cover letter, etc.,” he explained.

Please keep any feedback respectful and age appropriate.