Three Cheers for Post-Game Rallies

Regarding the article by David Haldane, “5th Quarter Rallies” (Times, Nov. 5), I applaud the churches that are sponsoring the 5th Quarter / The Door rallies. You would figure that with today’s society filled with drugs and alcohol, the schools would be greatly pleased by these actions instead of downgrading them.

The alarming number of high school kids that do drugs and alcohol causes me to worry about my own children’s future. Peer pressure can be a very stressful situation. By going to these rallies, young people can see they have an alternative to drugs and alcohol and still have some fun. So what if it happens at a church. Is that such a terrible place? I wish I would have had a place to go after sporting events when I was going to school. Instead, I got caught up in the alcohol sensation, coming close later on in life to losing my family, friends and job because of it.

Thank God someone shows enough interest in our children to do something about it. Combatting drugs and alcohol should be of concern to everyone. Again, I applaud the churches for showing that interest.

RAY A. CONNER

Long Beach