Turn off and turn on

We seem to be awash in a storm of violence where we turn. The nightly T.V. announces it as regularly as the weather report. War, drive-bys, robberies, rapes, murder, mass murder in ever increasing numbers. But the hardest to understand is the violent crimes committed by mere children.

Where has the world gone wrong that the children of the world are so lost? What have we failed to teach them: of love one another; of respect for our differences; of being God's children; of an abhorrence to violence; of soul, of self, of spirit. We should not be saturating the young with violence whether it be on the news, movies, videos or our own sense of prejudice.

To allow this is a form of child abuse in itself. We need to protest and loudly, to boycott conspicuously and to teach values clearly. What happened to the family that prays together? What happened to parental awareness? What happened to "bring the children to me"?

Those that love God do not love violence. Those that follow the saints learn to seek peace. Those that are taking time to pray are not using that time to hurt, harm, kill and maim. Are we becoming desensitized through saturation? Are we so immune that we know the proper tributes to bring to sites of violent mass destruction?

Will someone write a book of etiquette for community mourning? Not only do we need to learn to take back our neighborhoods bot to regain our families. Do we know where our children are? What they are doing? and with whom?

Turn off the T.V. and turn on the communication. Pray together each day. Give our children less things and more love. Be involved as a family. Take time  to do things together. Take time not only to lecture but to listen, truly listen, and to teach.

04221999