Can We Save Children From The Junk Yards?

Sometime during my years in public education and in other jobs related to trying to salvage human beings from the junkyards of society and, more importantly, to intervene in some way to prevent the children and youth from becoming “junk” before adulthood, I made a little something to keep me on task. It was a drawing of a little boy with big eyes and a sad face. His head was in his chubby hands and beneath it were the words “ I know I’m somebody, ‘cause God don’t make no junk.” I am now retired, but I still have that little reminder that I made on a four by six inch blue index card. It still means a lot to me. I had pictures of my wonderful wife and five children and others were added as grandchildren and in-laws seemed to multiply rapidly, but the little blue card, attached to a file cabinet with a magnet was something I looked upon often. God does not make “junk,” people make junk.

When children go to school for the first time, in pre kindergarten in most states, they are, excepting for those who have already been damaged by abuse, neglect or other negative influences, are loving, trusting and happy. They have not yet learned to discriminate, to hate, and to avoid “certain” people…all of which must be taught them by someone.

I recall vividly something that was beautiful which happened in our home. Three grandchildren were busily dismantling the interior of our house when the older one (seven years of age) kicked little five year old Kjerstan. She stood in the middle of the room and began to cry. Jason, who was two and one half years of age stopped what he was doing and walked over to little Kari. He, in his little black sweat suit, put his arms around her and hugged her close to him. Kari embraced him for a few seconds and then they turned away and returned to their demolition work. Not a word was spoken, but that little hug and the obvious compassion expressed by Jason made her feel safe, loved and all was fine. Young children are like that.

Young children know no class distinction, no prejudices. These are learned as they grow older. Most young people are happy. They have a smile and sparkling eyes.

As the years go by, however, we who work with them notice that, in some children, the sparkling eyes grow dull and the smiles are rarely seen. Their environments and experiences begin to produce some junk in their young lives. More often than we wish to accept, many of these young persons become burdens upon society and threats to our safety as they grow into adulthood…for those who survive.

It seems all too common these days to junk the kids who begin to go bad rather than repair them. Just junk them. It costs a lot to fix them by providing the needed maintenance and support and even more to rehabilitate them. Just lock ‘em up like old cars in a junk yard…It seems that building and maintaining prisons and jails cost a lot, too, even more in the long run, but that approach is easier and it is a resource for private contractors to build and operate the penal systems at a profit to them. Rehabilitation is possible in most cases, if we would only try (not with lip service, but with dedication and commitment…we are talking about human beings, you know). Like the little boy says “God don’t make no junk…” We make the junk by trashing them rather than fixing them.

The most effective and least costly solution to the problems that create junk in our society is to provide the support and services needed by young children and youth before they become junk.

In my long and varied experiences working with children, youth and their parents (as well as other members of society that influence them) I have found that most want to be “good,” to be somebody. Many of them try, but they need help. Some much more than others. Where are our priorities? How important is a child’s future. How important is a child’s life?