Scenario Presented At A Recent Neighborhood Meeting

[iwasthere]

Residential schools.

[Peggy Gurney]

We were dirt poor as well. Father died when I was very young, there were 4 of us kids, mom turned to alcohol, and grandma did most of the raising.

We didn't have much at all. But there comes a time in life when you have to stop blaming your past/parents/experiences for your failures, and make a conscious decision on which road you're going to follow.  It's all up to you.  Too many of today's kids don't get that.

[AllanY2525]

I agree that parents (or lack thereof) are the number one reason that so many kids end up
taking the wrong path in life as they grow up.  It doesn't take money for someone to teach
their children right from wrong.

My siblings and I grew up dirt poor, our father having left and re-married when I was very
young - and yet our mother took the time to teach us the values of respect, honesty,
decency and the work ethic. 

We all grew up to become law-abiding, productive members of society although none
of us is wealthy by any means.

[Rick Rowlands]

Jay, that actually solves two problems.  Keeps the children occupied while helping to alleviate the abandoned house problem! 

(and here comes the usual suspects thinking that I am being serious)...

[Towntalk]

Most of the youth that become problems lack strong parental supervision and as a result, gangs become more of a family to them than their own family. Secondly, there is a failure on the part of the churches to supplement the tools that the parents need to do a proper job of raising up their children.
Most of the trouble making kids come from single parent families -- usually the mother --- most are on some form of public assistance --- lack strong parenting skills --- have personal issues of their own, usually drugs.
Most inner city clergymen are so caught up in being community activists that they have little time to really care for the individual members of their individual churches.
Because public schools by virtue of the fact that they are limited in the sort of one on one contact with students and their family, there is precious little that they can do without running afoul of the restrictions placed upon them, so it must be up to the churches to take up the slack, and with all due respect they are failing to do a good job at that.
This brings us to another point ... how many inner city clergymen adequately trained to deal with such areas as crisis intervention ... personal counseling ... ? It's too easy to become a clergyman in many cases, and many are not formally trained in a reputable seminary, college or university. There are many denominations that have caredited schools for the training of clergymen or require formal college level training of all clergymen with the result that many local churches are left without skilled leadership.

[jay]

Why should we provide constructive activities for Youngstown's youth.

Otherwise these kids will learn to burn down houses so their parents could scrap the metal to buy heroin.