Icon The Kids Are NOT Alright!
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Peter T. (view)

I recall, Andrea, how you have worked in schools for a long time. I'm in my 14th year of teaching and I know the 11-12 year old population all too well. We have a unique vantage point when it comes to observing the behavior of young people. There are a lot of truly disturbed kids in America's classrooms, and most of them are of course boys. These kids didn't choose their brain chemistry, their IQ, their socio-economic status, their neighborhood, their home life. It's a hell of a societal problem. To truly tackle the multitude of problems these kids have, we'd have to devote far more resources (tax dollars)! Still, this would be short money when you consider the far greater expenses related to prison.

I'm sure we've always had very troubled young people but I sense that the breakdown of the family, inadequate parental oversight, the pernicious effects of technology, and unlimited access to inappropriate information and images play significant roles. And of course the elephant in the room is their easy access to lethal firepower!

Fast forward a decade: Throw in a changing economic world that diminishes their employment prospects and you've got an angry, combustible group of young men with a little hope, little money, few relevant skills, and a lot of time on their hands!

Peter T.
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