Okay, here’s the first promised installment and will start with the kids.

Teenagers, why so angry with so much life ahead of them?  They don’t like the world they’ll inherit?  The feel entitled and are just a bunch of temper tantrum throwing brats?  They think they know it all and are attempting to change the world the way they think it should be?  They completely lack any moral compass to guide them away from such bad choices?

For some kids yes is the answer to those questions.  For most kids though the answer is no.  No, we need to take a more macro-sized look at where the real anger is coming from, and a more in depth look at the very first question.  Do they have so much life ahead of them?  You and I think so, but you and I at in there situation.

A very wise woman who worked with very poor kids from the Chicago inner city and Gary, Indiana once told me, “What would you do if thought you could die tomorrow?  Would you be concerned of the repercussions of your actions.  That’s the frame of mind these kids are in.  They all know someone who died to gun violence, they don’t know where their next meal is coming from so why not sell some drugs for money or have sex with someone, or shoot someone before they shoot you?”

Hmm.  Shoot someone before they shoot you.  Kinda sounds like Bush’s foreign policy, but we’ll save that for another post.

Why are so many of the suicide bombers and insurgents  adolescents and young adults?  Why are so many kids recruited into gangs?  Why do so many kids think violence is an acceptable way to settle disputes?  If you’re only thinking of the here and now, repercussions never enter your consciousness.  Thinking of the future and tomorrow is not something you’re really capable of.  So, ask yourself this.  What would you do for some food if you had none?  What would you do if you were fearful of your life?  Would you strike out with violence to get what you need?  Don’t think so?  You’d take the moral high ground?  You sure about that?

Now ask yourself this, why did Congress and the American people — by an overwhelming majority — tell the President it was okay to go into Afghanistan and Iraq?  Still don’t think you’d lash out with violence?