Are “we the people” expecting politicians to save our children and restore family and community values? A politician’s job is to pass laws and spend taxpayers’ money.
Beware of giving politicians too much power. Hitler demonstrated how one man took over Germany, gradually becoming a nation of followers. Putin is today’s example of one man’s evil power to control people as he tries to extend his power beyond Russian borders. Could that happen in America?
The world will never see peace if we ignore the power of the human spirit.
Look around; what areas in your city have peaceful neighborhoods? Which neighborhoods have the most crime and violence? What is the problem? Single moms? Lack of responsible fathers? Out of control youth? Drugs and alcohol abuse? Homelessness? Prostitution and drug dealers? Have some neighborhoods become a sanctuary for criminal behavior? How are these problems being addressed?
Years ago, parents understood the power of faith and taught children the Ten Commandments. Today, according to the Hartford Institute, roughly 350,000 religious congregations in the U.S. must be involved and help unite the community as they demonstrate the power of “Love Thy Neighbor.” Neighbors used to be friends and help each other, which was a check and balance on young bullies and bad behavior in neighborhoods. Men counseled men, women supported women, and neighbors looked out for children. In other words, a strong sense of community offered support for everyone. Today, if children don’t have love at home, they look for love on social media, run away, or join gangs to find friends and community. Today’s lack of community has emboldened sex traffickers and gangs, costing taxpayers $655 Billion a year.
As a crime and violence prevention specialist, I can tell you these problems, for the most part, are not being addressed. We are a reactive society, but we must become a preventative society to keep our freedoms. Smaller cities have less crime and violence because people know each other and are involved in their communities. We can make that happen in big cities.
American taxpayers spend $220 million a DAY on child abuse and neglect as angry youth feel entitled to loot, set fires, disrespect police, and destroy their communities. There are two ways to help decrease city crime and violence and make cities safer.
Step 1.
America needs a spiritual awakening! Years ago, life in America was peaceful because most people had strong moral values and respected each other! All children are born with many gifts, including creativity, insights, a sense of humor, imagination, intuition, instincts, and a self-protective conscience that can keep them safe and healthy. Adults must work together to empower and support youth in staying emotionally centered and developing the 3C’s: courage, character, and a self-protective conscience so they don’t become bullies or victims.
Step 2.
Children need a healthy network of friends and neighbors to build trust and care about people so they don’t feel socially isolated and self-absorbed, which can lead to self-destructive behaviors. In some neighborhoods, people need to hire and pay “Neighborhood Safety Experts” who look like and speak the language of the community to help bring neighbors together. Responsible non-profits can work with the police to help with this project.
Everyone has a role to play if we want to make our families and neighborhoods safe places to live.
A spiritual awakening and people working together in neighborhoods could cut crime, violence, and gangs in half within ten years.
Consider this old Arabic Proverb. They asked the Pharaoh, “What made you a tyrant? He said, “No one stopped me.” It’s time to speak up and get involved. You only have three choices in life: Give up, give in, or give it your all. If we are going to remain free, it starts with you and me. When we focus on good, the good will increase.
In a democratic society, it is up to “we the people” to decide whether we will help strengthen our families, ensure the safety of youth, create peaceful neighborhoods, or watch the chaos in our communities! You decide!
Hi Ken,
Thank you for your comment! Working in high-crime and low-crime neighborhoods, I learned what adults did and didn’t do to raise responsible children. The statistics are alarming! We have adults who no longer know how to raise children to help them learn how to develop courage, character and self-protective conscience. We are moving in the wrong direction to remain a free nation. That is why I wrote two books, Empowerment Parenting: How to Raise Resilient Children Who Become Happy, Self-reliant Adults and Magical YOU: Empowering Teens to Stay Safe and Healthy in an Unsafe World. I will be posting free information for parents by the end of April. I hope this information will be helpful for anyone who want to live in a safe, healthy community. wwww.safekidsnow.com
You are right of course. I was born in 1940. An era where children were taught right from wrong, respect, responsibility, and the fact that bad behavior brings bad consequences. By the time I was 3 I had a firm grasp of these realities. Bad behavior could result in anything from loss of privileges to loss of favorite toys, to physical spanking. I have watched as each subsequent generation has systematically loosened the lessons we were taught. The end result is we have reared multiple generations now that expect to get participation trophies for showing up, that feel the world owes them something, and that their bad behavior caries no bad results. Police I know tell me that they arrest the same people over and over and that oftentimes the person is back on the street before the officer gets off work. Liberal prosecutors, liberal judges, judging out-of-control looters, arsonists, child abusers, drug and people traffickers, etc.