Gary, in his comments regarding the troubled teens in this community, did
not say all, he did state -so many- came from 'broken homes'. You are
right. Many great teens have come from divorced homes and this is terrific. Kudos
to those who have succeeded in this life long endeavor.
...and you are right again many problem kids do come from 'homes where the parents
haven't divorced'. This is also true and I do not think Gary is making or
trying to make a broad over generalization. More of an observation.
On Sat, 21 Mar 1998, Jo Williams wrote:
->To: Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020@moscow.com>
->From: Jo Williams <tajs@potlatch.com>
->Subject: Happily Ever After....
->
-> I have to take issue with several of Gary You's assumptions in the
->discussion of our area's 'troubled teenagers'.
-> First, he suggests that they are all from "broken homes". There are many
->great teens whose parents are divorced- and many problem kids from homes
->where the parents haven't divorced.
-> Second he makes the broad generalization that parents who don't spend
->every spare moment with their children are then to blame when those kids
->get into trouble.
No. Again he did not say every waking hour should be spent with their
children. This of course would be impossible. I think he might be
suggesting that we get involved in our kids lives. Genuinely. Not
superficially. We are people and have 'things' to do. We do have
ambitions and aspirations and probably have many life long goals and 'to
do' lists out there.
->Does that go for the father busy spending his spare
->time finishing a graduate degree? Attending city council meetings?
->Running for county commissioner? The mother attending medical school,
->running for mayor or organizing youth outreach programs? Maybe it
->applies to parents so busy taking Johnny to basketball practice or
->football games that no one is home cooking supper for Johnny's brothers
->and sisters (who then get into trouble due to this parental neglect).
-> Finally he makes the statement that the "easy" solution is to "get right
->with God". Living a religious life is not easy- and not intended to be
->easy.
You are right again. It is not easy and not intended to be easy. God did
not say in the Bible that it would be easy either. It is however an easy
solution to get right with God, but sometimes we get so busy with life we
forget why we are here.
->It's a lifelong struggle,
Yes it is. But God can give you all the help you need. 24/7
always falling short ...always and in all ways...
->(unless you happen to be a Saint).
All of the Saint's are no longer with us...
->Similarly, it's not an easy solution to a communities'
->problems. There are no easy solutions. But there are a lot of difficult
->and time consuming solutions that we'll never get to if we sit around
->waiting for Utopia/Heaven, mouthing pat phrases.
-> Jo Williams tajs@potlatch.com
->
->
Jo, I think we (those involved with life and our kids lives) can honestly
say we are on the same page here. We want to make sure that our own are
taken care of etc. You must admit though that the moral fabric of our
world today has been torn and ripped in so many ways it is hard to know
which direction to look for guidance. God is still the everlasting answer
no matter what...
I hope you take this reply in the light in which it is intended. Please
forgive me if I have offended anybody else on the userlist.
Thank you for your ear and a bit of your heart,
Mike......
On Sat 21 Mar 98 Gary Young wrote:
Joan, unfortunately you are closer to right than most in our community
would care to admit. I serve the two area Law Enforcement agencies as a
volunteer Chaplain and I have seen far too many of the instances you
describe with families in our communities. I have seen so many teenagers
who are from broken homes and are so angry because a dad or mom is more
concerned about fulfilling their own selfish desires that they ignor their
own children. Area officers grow weary of being called to solve the
domestic dispute and runaway problems when it is the suppossed adults in
the situation who are the problem. There is one easy and only one easy
answer to what is wrong with our communities problems and that is for
people to get right with God. Any way you want to define God will make a
difference in our community except for people to be their own gods and do
what they think feels good. People, get a life.
There are a lot more things more important that you.
Regards and hoping for people to turn toward light and away from darkness.
Gary Young