SOCIETY FAILING OUR YOUTH

I was sitting here thinking about what to write and it hit me at 2:34 am on a Monday morning. I wanted to discuss the mentality of the grown folks within our communities. Why is that you live in a community and are afraid to speak to the kids that reside in it? Are they that much of a threat to you or do you have the "That's not my child" syndrome? I read a response from a good friend of mine and she is the one that inspired me to share this with you today. Society as a whole has failed our youth. We sit around and point fingers at the bad kids that are terrorizing the neighborhoods and we are quick to disassociate ourselves from them. Just because he/she didn't come from your womb doesn't give you the right to cast them off. I believe in the concept "It takes a village to raise a child", but over the years people have been reluctant to step up and intervene when they know a child is out there doing things they have no business doing. We turn a blind eye to them because we feel its not our problem. I have a news flash for you. It is our problem, especially when this child lives within your community and you see them regularly on a day to day basis. Most of these kids are simply crying out for attention but we don't heed to the warning signs. Any child psychologist can confirm to you what I'm saying. I was once a child myself and I didn't plan to get into trouble. It just sort of happened since noone was paying attention to me when I was at a vulnerable state. Some kids don't get to be as fortunate. Most of them are rotting away in a state prison somewhere while others have been buried at a very young age. I'm ashamed of the way society chooses to deal with our youth. They think locking them up and throwing away the key is the answer but research has proven time and time again that this method does not work in the long term. I remember growing up I used to be scared to cut school because I was afraid that one of my parents friends would see me and report back to my mother what I was doing during school hours. One time, I actually got caught and got a major beating for my actions but I was more impressed than embarrased. That incident taught me to stay in school, because someone was always watching. Its our obligation to raise the kids within the community as your own because you never know when one of those kids could bring grief to your home. You have to cultivate a relationship with them from early on so they can have a chance when they get older. If they're not hearing that you care, what makes you think they're going to care? Its time for us to stop acting like we're scared of the youth because noone wants to be Suspended In Time over a child that clearly needed your love and affection to begin with. You have to blame yourself when these kids turn to the dark side and its your moral duty to show them right from wrong. Stop pointing fingers, because you know what they say about a person who throws stones but live in a glass house...