Dear FRONTLINE

As a teacher of grades seven and eight 12 and 13 year olds I was under the impression that topics such as this would be too heavy for my students and not really relevant until high school. I'm not that old myself and this was a real eye-opener. I still want to believe this but I know that I am wrong.

Some of my programming will be drastically changing.

Mark Lasso
Toronto, Ontario

Dear FRONTLINE

Excellent report...but shocking. These precious children have no guidance and their parents need to take a good look at what is going on in their town. As a teenager, no one had more fun...but, there was not as much out there "back then." The father who thinks his kids should sow their wild oats probably did just that when he was young but things have changed and his kids and all the young people today need guidance. I hope they all saw this report in Conyers and that they recognize that they need to provide a healthy environment for their young people and not just leave them to their own devices.

Carrollton, TX

Dear FRONTLINE

This was so disturbing because I have lived in Rockdale county all of my life? Where were all the real people from Rockdale? Where were the "non-trash" people? There are normal people in Rockdale county and I can vouch for that.

Conyers, Georgia

Dear FRONTLINE

This story is very pathetic. But, as an African-American young adult, I am glad no Blacks were portrayed in this special. These 'children' are the worst examples of Georgia teenagers I have ever seen! Why don't you ever have any specials on the young adults of Georgia that are actually doing something to help improve the communities that they live in, not condemning them. And their parents, where are they? Yes, they may work 40 hour work weeks, but so did my mother and she also worked at night until I was 18, and she never had any problems with me concerning males. I think these children are spoiled brats and they need to be disiplined all the time, not just when they are doing something that may hurt the neighborhoods view on their family.

Latieeka Corbin
Atlanta, Georgia

Dear FRONTLINE

Your report was so very sad. I have never seen more depressed teenagers in my life. Where is church and where is school as central to these children? Don't they participate in sports, music, art, etc? Notice that these teens run in and out of their houses with no parental accounting and no curfews. Why are these children not involved in any type of extracurricular activity? None of these teens spoke of their aspirations for college, career, marriage. What has happened?

However, sadder than the children are their parents. Most of them seemed clinically depressed in need of antidepressants. They don't have a clue as to how to be a parent, don't understand, even now, that all their kids were begging for tough guidance and moral standards from them, and have lost a war they never fought. They seemed like veterans with post traumatic stress syndrome. My friends are actively involved in parenting.

P.S. Why on earth did parents give permission for their sons and daughters to get on television and announce their promiscuity? I find that very strange, almost exhibitionistic.

Heddy-Dale Matthias
jackson, alaska

Dear FRONTLINE

I was greatly disturbed by the reaction of the parental community of Rochdale county when they learned of the syphllis outbreak. There appears to be too little communication and supervision today and it is saddening to witness parents "giving up" simply because they find it "easier to get along and not fight" with their children. A parent's role is not meant to be easy: it is to educate, support, and promote independent persons with strong self-esteem.

richmond, va

Dear FRONTLINE

I am not the least surprised by this report. It was much the same 25 years ago when I grew up in a similar place. Now that I am the parent raising the children I try not to make the same mistakes I saw parents make back then. When I had children I moved to a small rural area. My wife who experienced similar things as a child in yet another city and I gave up a good deal of income to concentrate on raising children and being there for them. Its hard to say no career advancements and $ but in the long run I hope my children benefit. Are the beautiful houses and fancy vehicles really worth your childrens' lives?

NC, NC

Dear FRONTLINE

I was personally shocked when I heard this report. I am a senior education major at UGA and we had a discussion about this story, and we were shocked. We are future educators, and it scares us to know that kids at such young ages are making such horible decisions! I'm only 21, and I don't remember this going on during middle and high school. I can't believe no one knew, and that so many parents turned their back. This is ultimatly appaling. I wish parents would be around to stop this and teach their kids better morals.

Jenna Jenkins
Lawrenceville, GA

Dear FRONTLINE

Your show this evening was both disturbing and frightening to watch; it was a dismal, remorseful microcosm of the problems facing America today. We live in a country of children who don't have any semblance of moral or ethical responsibility, largely due to the parents who are too caught up in their own selfish, materialistic pursuits to even begin to know their offspring. This is a generation which has not had to fight to earn their freedoms or their rights, and they thus take them for granted. This may well be the generation that oversees the destruction of the United States of America.

Brad K
Dallas, Texas