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Turmoil In America
There is no doubt in my mind that young America is in trouble. To state it more
precisely, young American is in turmoil. The welfare of our young has become
a complicated problem surrounded with much controversy. Since the early 1990s
there has been a barrage of suggestions arising from every sector of our community.
Solutions and Causes
Solutions are good only if they address the root cause of a problem. Solutions
without a direct connection to the root cause of a problem become a bandage.
A bandage only covers a sore keeping it away from infection until it heals.
When this form of treatment is applied to the mind, heart, soul and spirit of
a human being, the sore of problem soon reappears after a period of time. Gardeners
can testify to this truth. You can pull a weed up out of the ground by the leaf,
leaving the root of the weed in the ground. After awhile, the weed reappears.
To properly eliminate the weed you must first destroy the root.
One of the most common identified root causes of the problem with young American
is the loss of HOPE. Along with hope are the loss of innocence,
support, trust, respect, boundaries and a loss of belonging. We may blame the
above on one of the following:
- the breakdown of the family
- no moral values in America
- single parent homes
- the media
- politics
- religion or the lack there of
Whose Problem Is It?
Before we can address the root cause of the problem concerning young America,
we need to first admit that it is indeed our problem,
the community at large. The old African proverb states, "It
takes a whole village to raise a child." The whole village
means EVERYONE. Acting alone, neither educators, social service
workers, religious leaders, policy makers, nor business leaders are able to
address the needs of all of American's young people.
Excerpts taken from ONE AT A TIME: A Mentoring Program
To Equip The Local Church To Mentor Teens And Their Families. Copyright
© 1997.
Other Resources
What is mentoring?
What is a mentor?
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