Re: ‘Higher-earning families part of St. Albert’s appeal,’ April 3.
The letter from Chris and Karleena Perry in Saturday’s Gazette certainly gave me pause. It’s not often that we can open our local newspaper on a Saturday morning and read such xenophobic fear mongering. From their descriptions, you’d think the proposed development in Akinsdale will turn our community into something out of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. It’s only a matter of time until a trip to the local mall will be impossible due to the gangs of dirty and unruly street urchins trying to pick our pockets. (That’s if we can survive the trip, with all of the drive-bys and gang violence that apparently will result.) I had to double-check the date, to make sure it wasn’t slipped into the paper as an April Fool’s gag.
Their letter absolutely dripped with yuppie snobbishness and condescension. The elitist mentality demonstrated does far more to damage our community and reputation than any inclusion of lower-income citizens ever would. People are people — whether rich or poor, every bushel has a few bad apples. And I think I know where I’d categorize those who are just greedy and the ignorant. Frankly, as someone who grew up in this city, it’s opinions like theirs which give so much ammunition to those from the Capital region who say people from St. Albert have such an incredible sense of entitlement. Going on just a reading of the letter published, I’d have a hard time saying otherwise.
I think we can all be glad that the Perrys do not speak for the community.
Matthew Rodwell, St. Albert
