Dear Editor: My wife and I attended the Jazz Night concert in Conyers on Jan. 22 and we were both very impressed with the young people who were playing in the band. The young man who played the saxophone attended Salem High School and it was so exciting to see these young people enjoy a genre of music that was once a timeless piece of American history that seemed to have drifted away with the introduction of hip hop music. Recently, I also saw a Rockdale County basketball game that featured a few superstar athletes that were succeeding in the classroom as well as on the court. There were two student athletes that received full basketball scholarships to attend SEC schools. I have also had several conversations with teachers and administrators in Conyers bragging about all of the outstanding children that are exceeding in the classroom and headed to Ivy League schools and other prestigious universities across the country! 

Recently, there has been a rash amount of crimes in Conyers/Rockdale County over the past several months committed by young people; with America’s addiction to media sensationalism this has given young people an all-around bad rap. However, I believe in our young people and the pipeline/backlog of what is coming. All of us need to play a part in a mentorship program or some kind of community outreach to ensure that the pipeline is prepared to lead when it is their turn.

Winston McDonald
Conyers