Billy Wayne
It does not matter whom you talk with, when you talk to them or where you talk to them. For local residents, two topics almost always generate(s) a conversation: crime in our city and accountability of elected officials.
The Caddo District Attorney’s office mandated curfew for ages 17 years and under is just another step in a continuous effort toward parent/guardian accountability in reducing crime/criminal activities.
It does not matter how many police officers are on the street, how many bond proposals one might pass, or even how many articles are written, nothing replaces parent accountability. Social program(s) assistance cannot replace parents. I’ve heard all I need to hear about single-parent households. I understand the need for assistance, but I also understand accountability. Just as I understand that many nontraditional households are better off than many traditional households.
Here’s the point: The more “giveaways” some parents receive, the more some will give away their child(ren) to society. Citizens must be willing to do as we have been advised: When we see something, say something, regardless of the household(s).
The “bad actors” who roam our neighborhoods and streets are truly aware of what they can get away with. Rather than saying something about these undesirables, many of us would rather live with the headache(s) or relocate. For those who cannot afford to relocate, we are “stuck” with high crime and deteriorating communities.
It’s hard. It’s difficult for many of us to come to grips with the fact that our children are not living up to the expectations we have/had for them. Nor do we care to admit that some of our children are just bad.
Many parents simply cannot discipline their children. I watched some of these kinds of parents for over 33 years in the school system. They found contentment in education officials parenting their child(ren).
Two things are still common after all these years. First of all, these bad actors who tore up the classroom/schools are now tearing up the community. They have graduated to bigger environments. Secondly, they were living at home then, and they are still living in and out of the home now. Simply being sick and tired of the criminal activities in our neighborhoods is good for “drama,” political campaigns and reality TV, nothing else!
Citizens, especially parents, let’s do all we can and have friends/relatives do likewise in assisting the success of the curfew. If we take care of our responsibility, the D.A. and the police chief will handle theirs.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE January 14 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR - SUBSCRIBE TODAY http://theinquisitor.com