If you do not leave the Bitterroot Valley for Spring Break, you spend most of the week being bored. With the exception of Cole (who went to Ohio), that is what we did. So what are you supposed to do in a valley that suffers from a dearth of entertainment? We skateboarded.

One night we went to K-Mart. After skating around a bit we went in to get some stuff. Immediately, employees started following us around. There were five of us: Tim, Chris, Shawn, JP and myself. Apparently we presented quite a threat. We went to the electronics department, where one employee started following us, taking over from a presumably tired persuer.

"You know what," said Chris, loud enough so that the employee could hear, "every time I come in here I get followed."

The employee, perhaps trying to make it okay, tried to talk to us. When we mentioned something, she threw in her own comment. So, to better help her do her job, we announced our moves ahead of time.

"We're going over here now," one of us would say. She really panicked when we would split up.

After leaving the electronics department, we noticed that there were now three K-Mart employees tailing us. It was getting quite ridiculous. Chris grabbed the stuff he wanted (making elaborate gestures to show that he was not inserting them in his pockets) and we proceeded to the front of the store. We approached the checkout stand.

"These are the things we were gonna buy," he told the checkout clerk, "but we were followed." We then left the store.

A couple of nights later, we decided to give K-Mart another chance.

The moment we walked in, an employee said, "Not these guys again!" Immediately, we heard over the loudspeakers, "Security, rotate cameras one, two and three." We went back to the electronics section and had a lively chat with the clerk there. We asked him where the cameras were and I snapped a few photos.

Again we were tailed. We saw other customers, who were not being tailed. They were not elderly people (we all know old people -- who scare me -- do not steal!), they were slightly older than us. Once again, we left without making a purchase.

Several times, we heard, "Attention K-Mart Shoppers: We will be closing in 15 (or whatever) minutes. Please make your selections and bring them to the counter and, as always, thank you for shopping K-Mart." The last 'thank you' sounded more like the anouncer was forced to say it. I'm sure she would have preferred to say "and, as always, get the hell out, you punk kids."

So, why take so much effort to persecute minors? We were going in to closing time, and the employees should've been concentrating on getting the store closed, not following us. If the five of us had been splitting up, they would not have had enough workers to run the store, because we all would have been followed. Similar occurences have happened at other places, such as Best Buy.

They do not follow older customers. Maybe minors are statistically more inclined to theft. But it does not bolster a store's image to pursue kids who come in. After all, when we grow up we may decide to take our business elsewhere.

K-Mart has security cameras; while they are not omniscient they can catch people. A skilled person could clandestinely shoplift something in front of a K-Mart employee easily; they are trained to stock shelves, check out items, and mop, not tail thieves.

We never did and never will have any intention to steal from that store. We were simply five honest shoppers. K-Mart displayed its trust in us and its respect for shoppers. And, after these events over Spring Break, I have as much respect for K-Mart as it has for me. I, and I am sure most of the people with us, will be taking our business elsewhere.

After this episode, we went to a church to skate. Immediately, a police car pulled in and two officers began questioning us. They were stupid questions, and the police probably had a good idea of what we were gonna do (our skateboards were readily visible), but they still wasted our time. Police like to kick skateboarders off of public property, I cannot count the number of times we have been kicked out of skating spots.

I can understand kicking us out of a dark spot on public property, such as the church we went to, but what about the Post Office? Every time we go there, cops eventually throw us out. Would they rather we be getting smashed or vandalizing things? I hate to break it to you, Hamilton, but there ain't much to do in this valley. They also shut down our show in the Pizza Hut last year. Granted, we had no permit, but would they rather fifty minors (or near-minors) be in full view in a Pizza Hut parking lot, or out finding their own entertainment (or, heaven forbid, skateboarding)?

The sad fact is, older people make the laws. And, more often than not, they have condescending and dim-witted views of a youth's nature, hence curfews. Not only is this sad because we minors are persecuted, but it is sad that we do nothing about it. How many 18-year-olds actually vote? I am registered and fully plan to, come the next voting day. I'm sure Chris does too. If it were really important, I'm sure 18-year-olds would fight to get curfews extended or abolished; maybe it is because we are no longer affected by curfews that we ignore them.

Which brings us to the saddest part of all: the very people targeted by these laws can do nothing to directly affect them. Once you become 18 years old, the curfew no longer affects you. So you don't do anything to change it.

Adults were once kids. I'm sure they resent being restricted by laws. Maybe they just do not remember when they were minors. When you think about it, their perceived 'Minor Threat' is just that: an insignificant threat. Why do they take time to persecute us? Maybe because there's nothing we can do about it.