YOUTH COUNT COLUMN: Enough is enough our youth deserve better – Evening News and Tribune

Last weeks horrific school shooting in Texas has our countrys attention.

Twenty-one people 19 happy, innocent children and two caring teachers were shot and killed and an additional 17 were wounded in this school of 600 students. All of them and their families are suffering. Millions and millions of additional students and parents across our country have been terrified by that news.

Since 1970, 2,032 school shootings have occurred in the U.S., with 948 of them occurring since the staggering tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. This averages more than 94 in less than 10 years.

Just Thursday night there was an anonymous shooting threat regarding New Albany High School.

I was already incensed about occurrences in my rural, historically safe and secure, neighborhood. To be certain, these happenings are absolutely nothing in comparison to the Texas shooting. They are though, indicative of negative changes. In just the past month I had a bulky piece of outdoor furniture taken within a six-hour period while I was at home. Two neighbors just down the road had break-ins into their backyards/mini barns. One involved removing a gate. Most recently, four cars/officers from the sheriffs department found it necessary to visit a small nearby business at 2:30 a.m.

While this is of a completely different caliber, I had taken up a wooden sidewalk and moved all pieces to the end of the driveway to await removal. All screws needed to be hammered down or out and all wood bundled so I was sitting on a bench at the end of the driveway working away with my hammer. People in the area will tell you that I work in the yard a lot and often look oh my, as was the case when a car passed and the driver screamed a nasty adjective and a disgusting noun at me. Only 15 or so feet away was a mid-20s man, his face distorted with anger and venom.

Despite the varied nature of these instances, there are many commonalities. I do not believe it is okay that my world no longer feels as safe or kind and caring as it once did. It is certainly not okay that young people cannot view one where they are loved and cared for and is safe, caring, and filled with opportunities. Too many people today, of all ages, act as though boundaries and rules dont apply to them. They do what they want, when they want just because they want to, regardless of consequences to others. It is unacceptable!

I continue to believe there are far more caring people in the world than there are selfish, unfeeling, uncaring ones. Yet the noise created by the blatant actions in the world almost seems to belie that reality. Its up to each one of us, whether teachers, legislators, parents or non-parents, to show in our lives the type of actions and attitudes that our world need in order of our young people and all citizens to feel safe and valued.

It does not mean a different rule for every difference: belief, lifestyle, gender, ethnicity, social and financial status, etc. It means being FAIR. If means treating others the way you would want to be treated (theres a Golden Rule for that). It means setting expectations for how we as individuals act at home, at school, in the neighborhood, everywhere and we must share, in both words and actions, these expectations with our children. Otherwise, how will they learn? Its also necessary that when expectations are not met, by children or adults, that consequences occur. Otherwise we quickly learn rules and expectations are not meant for me and we lives of chaos.

By our actions we must demonstrate that we value others, whether they are like us or not. Its learning how to peacefully resolve differences. Good old boy attitudes in our communities, neighborhoods, in politics, or anywhere or even at home result only in selfish rewards.

We begin to learn values and attitudes at birth. Teaching therefore begins with the parents and those others who are raising our children. Teaching must follow children as they go to daycare, school and anywhere they go where adults influence them. We cannot wait even one more day to begin ensuring that we act the way we want our kids to act, that we treat them with respect, that we expect the same in return. We cannot survive in a world where every person is out for him/herself. And who would want to?

Youth Count focuses on positive youth development. Visit the Youth Count Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/YouthCount for tips and encouragement on demonstrating positive attitudes and behaviors. For more information about the 40 Development Assets, building developmental relationships or for handouts appropriate for home, work, school or church, email me at barbara@youthcount.com.

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YOUTH COUNT COLUMN: Enough is enough our youth deserve better - Evening News and Tribune