Progress: Has It Cost Us Our Children?

The farms and ranches are an endangered way of life today. Tract houses fill what used to be lush pastures and fields. Children turn to gangs in rural areas as well as in the city to find a “family” and sense of belonging. Drugs and alcohol use is rampant among children as young as pre-teens. The government has made parents afraid to discipline their children for fear of being labeled child abusers. Kids have learned the system and threaten to turn in their parents if they are not allowed to do as they wish. Many children become violent towards parents and rebellious toward any authority figures. Having a child out of wedlock is now a common thing. Having several children by several different fathers or mothers is acceptable. The welfare system does not encourage people to strive for self sufficiency.

Virtually all control of our children today is in the hands of others. The American way of life has come a long way in seventy five years, but what has been the cost? Many young people today define “work” as a place they have to go for a certain number of hours a week, while doing as little as possible putting in their time, in order to collect a paycheck at the end of the week.

Of course, there are exceptions to each example I have given. Not every farm or ranch raised child turned into a stellar citizen. Not every city raised child turned into a criminal. There have been very successful single parent families. Some people have turned to home schooling as a way of keeping their family values intact in their children. Many religious schools offer alternatives to the problems of public school. It is not a simple problem and there is no simple answer. Yes, the last seventy five years have brought us much progress… I wonder if the generations that follow us will survive it…