Dear editor:

Hunger, poverty, crime, gangs and nothing for young people to do are all perceived problems which I have heard and read a lot about in our community. Many churches, clubs, groups, individuals and the city are taking actions they believe will alleviate the problems.

These include a wide range of actions including a soup kitchen and after- school programs. These efforts are commended, however they treat the symptoms and not the problems themselves.

The most basic responsibility of a man and woman who produce a child is to provide that child with food, shelter and clothing. If they can’t do these things, then they are irresponsible to produce that child. But, our society has become very tolerant of irresponsibility. As a result, we, the responsible ones, must care for our children and theirs in the form of welfare, food stamps, subsidized housing, food banks, free meals at school, etc. Also there is that form of welfare known as Earned Income Tax Credit, formerly known as “Unearned Income Tax Credit” because the Democrats in Washington don’t like to call welfare welfare so they changed its name.

In addition to the basics, the parents of a child also have the responsibility to provide guidance, support and leadership.. They should give the child parameters in which to operate which will teach responsibility. It is at home where the child should develop values, self-confidence and self-esteem if the parents are doing their job.

When the parents do not meet their responsibilities, the child begins to be affected at an early age. Without stability, support, and encouragement, the child might not develop adequately socially and academically. When he becomes a teenager, gangs begin to look more appealing because they offer a close-knit group.

That affiliation can become the beginning of many future troubles. Because the child was never encouraged to do homework and was never given any assistance to understand it, he begins to fall behind. School becomes a detested chore rather than an opportunity to lean and develop. He looks forward to dropping out and with that a life of low wages if he can get a job at all. He then joins part of the next generation expecting to live on entitlement programs and the cycle begins again.

The real problems then are dysfunctional households with no stable family structure. In most cases the father is absent. Not only does he not provide the child financial support but is also denying the child emotional and psychological support and guidance. The child might be raised by a grandmother or an aunt, and that place of residence might change many times over the years.

Please do not view this as condemnation of single parent households. Some perform well and very normally and know they are not included in this comment. But many more do not.

If they continue with temporary relief programs as mentioned earlier, they will never solve the problem.We cannot donate enough money and pay enough taxes to care for this increasing portion of our population. The problem will only be solved when men and women accept their responsibilities and the federal government stops rewarding illegitimate births and school dropouts with social entitlement programs.

It is necessary that the government stop this support but each individual must also decide to make changes.

The choices we make become our potential source of power. Our choices can change our lives for better or worse. If we choose to drop out of school, never marry and develop a real family and get mixed up with drugs and crime, we will likely spend a lifetime in poverty, unhappiness, and possibly in jail and never reach our full potential. If we make different choices, we can improve our life and lifestyle and become a productive member of this great society. The choice is yours.

Bruce Leigh

Moultrie