Madam,- I read Ailish Connelly's article "Tribal Gathering" in your magazine last Saturday and asked myself the question she raised: Do I know what a mountie is?
Yes I do, I am one. I am at the core of what's called a "D4" as I live in Ballsbridge and go to Mount Anville Secondary School. However, I don't feel that this should define my taste in literature, music or style.
Yes there is a certain amount of peer pressure in our society, but this is not solely led by "D4s" and I feel it is unfair to typecast us in this way.
I also feel it is wrong to make generalisations about my school. Girls will be girls and while some choose to wear juicy couture, many of my friends are happy to wear all sorts of clothes depending on their own tastes and budgets.
The article says that "kids now have an opinion and are not afraid to get it out there," so this is mine. Yes, you may find certain "tribes" but each teenager is individual, irrespective of whether he or she lives in Ballsbridge, Ballymun or Mayo. Teenagers have to be willing to think outside the box in order to maintain their own unique selves and avoid becoming a stereotype. - Yours, etc,
ISOBEL DARCY (15), Merlyn Park, Dublin 4.