To the editor:
I am an 8th-grade student at Breed Middle School. I am writing to raise awareness about an important issue in our community; mental health budget cuts.
This problem in our community concerns me. Like many people in Lynn, I struggle with mental illness. Cutting the budget for the Department of Mental Health would deeply affect me and others who also struggle with mental health who utilize support from this department.
I’ve learned that many people can have mental health episodes at any time, meaning mental health centers always have people who are seeking help. A lot of teens in Lynn also go through mental illness. My class conducted a community survey and learned that 32% of people who took our survey are suffering from anxiety. Teens are also the most likely to go into mental episodes that cause them to engage in reckless actions, as they can’t fully comprehend what is happening.
Lynn should care about this issue. If the people who have mental illness don’t get the help they need this could lead them to doing reckless actions. This would cause the crime rates of Lynn to increase, making the community less safe.
Please consider helping me stop this issue by raising awareness of this issue. I believe that stopping the budget cuts would be better for Lynn, so it can continue to be the peaceful community it is. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
8th-grade student
Breed Middle School
Lynn
