Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 16, 1994 TAG: 9405170012
SECTION: NEWSFUN PAGE: NF-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
My name is Neil Hypes. I am currently in jail in Christiansburg, Va. I know it may be strange to some of you for a 22-year-old convict to be writing to you. Well, last week I just happened to pick up the Newsfun section of the newspaper and read the article about D.A.R.E. Maybe that is no big deal to some of you but it was for me. You see, I started crying. Yes, a grown man sitting in jail, crying my eyes out. Why? Well, when I was about 12 years old I started using drugs. I smoked pot & took pills every day because I thought I was being "cool." Well, I'm not cool. I thought I would be accepted by my friends & be looked up to. Well, my friends aren't here now & nobody looks up to me!
Maybe if an officer like Jim Stanley would've come to my school things might have been different for me. I'm writing this hoping & praying that at least one kid will listen. I hope at least one kid will remember this letter & remember what happens when you don't say no!
Drugs lead to jails, prisons, hospitals & finally death.
Anyway, if you want to be "cool," just say no. I'm getting out of here soon & I'm hoping I'll be strong enough to say no because I don't ever want to come back.
Be happy & smile!!
Neil Hypes
Montgomery County Jail
Christiansburg
by CNB