Teach Our Children Well

"What's done to children, they will do to society." -- Karl A. Menninger

There seems to be an awful lot of attention these days to what can only be categorized as awful things that adults do to children. In Hollywood, in the legal system, in our public schools, or just about anywhere adults have the opportunity to interact privately with children, we are beginning to hear about the abuse and intimidation and betrayal that are occurring. These places and situations where our young people are being harmed are starting to be dragged from the darkness into the bright light of the truth, a truth that is very, very disturbing. More and more the despicable people that prey on children are losing their safe havens, and as Goethe said, "The coward only threatens when he is safe."  

I suggest offering them no amount of safety.

The sad realization to me however, is that we seem to be failing our children. We need to instill a sense of a higher expectation of love in our households, in our schools, and in our communities, while at the same time helping our young people to expect and demand that from other people. Society should be demanding that adults behave like adults, the kind of adults who love children. This has to be an important priority.

I have the tendency to believe that most people are good, and that leads me to trust more than I probably should. It is more likely that most of us are good, and harming children or any person is not what we are about. But by believing this, have I somehow been careless with providing tools to help children understand how they should be treated? Have I placed those in my care at risk?

I don't know. And that is my shame.