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All around us, we see assaults on the well-being of our young people. Some schools allow ‘drag shows’ for the youngest students. School unions have bought control of some schools. In Los Angeles, strikes have shut down schools. Some states are in the process of destroying women’s sports by allowing men to compete against young ladies. Many schools have books in their libraries undermining acceptable community standards.

Transgender

Stories abound of young people that were encouraged to surrender their God-given body to doctors by prescribing drugs to inhibit the proper hormone development of young children. Surgeons are removing the breasts of 13-year-old girls. Once respected hospitals are allowing their operating rooms for these sick procedures.

Why is this suddenly occurring? I make no judgment on what an adult does with their body. In a free society, they can do what they wish without my approval. However, children are in a completely different situation. Why would any parent allow their child to be butchered this way? Are they properly supervising what others are telling their child?  

Where would children, some pre-puberty, even come up with this insanity? We have heard some instances of it originating with teachers in our schools. Is that the role of any teacher? Does it make sense that libraries are offering books that confuse their gender? If it is true that a teacher has instigated this thinking, why have parents not noticed a change in their child? Are too many parents so involved with their job or activities that they are not sensing when a problem exists?

Currently, the ACLU is challenging Florida legislation that prevents teachers, doctors, and medical facilities from not consulting parents prior to any such activity. How irresponsible!

Gangs and Criminal Behavior

No community is exempt from the fact that gangs or ‘wannabe gangs’ are all around us. Much of this activity is driven by drug use and drug dealing. Often, these gangs are interested in maintaining their monopoly of selling drugs in a particular area. One might ask why would a young person get involved in such an enterprise? 

The reasons are numerous. Our society has been more accepting of drug use. Many parents today do not understand that the marijuana of today is much more potent than that which they experimented with decades ago. They also are unaware that many other drugs, some deadly like those laced with fentanyl, are on the streets.

Another reason is that today a household often has only one parent in the life of a child. Without a father figure in the house or engaged in a child’s life, that young person will seek that father figure outside the home. Sometimes the gang leader becomes someone to follow. Membership in these gangs often requires some proof of loyalty to the gang. Sometimes it is something silly or dumb. Other times the requirement is to commit a crime as the proof of loyalty. In some cases, it goes as far as to do bodily harm to an innocent victim, sometimes to the point of murdering an individual of another gang.

Solutions

The problem starts in the home, that is where the best solution can be found. Parents need to be more aware of their responsibility to not only feed and clothe their children but purposely reinforce personal responsibility and the importance of doing what is morally right.

A part of the solution can be community involvement. Programs that channel young people into activities that focus their energy and interests in things that are positive. It might be sports, both in school and out. It might be with such programs as church groups or programs such as Big Brothers.

Some in government have celebrated that far fewer young people are held in state juvenile facilities. What they ignore is that, when one person gets off with a slap on the wrist, it emboldens their peers to break laws. While many can be dealt with outside of correctional facilities, some must be dealt with more seriously. As a society, we are wrong when we don’t take seriously those actions that risk the safety of our citizens.

If we are to return to a civil society, now is the time for all of us to step in and do all we can.

Frank Ruff Jr. serves as the 15th District senator in Virginia. He can be reached at Sen.Ruff@verizon.net, (434) 374-5129 or P.O. Box 332, Clarksville, VA 23927.