Caroline Schoeder says, “Some people change when they see the light, others when they feel the heat.”
Tarboro/Edgecombe County: “How many more headlines do we need to read about the enemy preying on our youth before we make some changes?
“Are the lights in our communities on?”
Shaniya Davis’ untimely tragic death should remind us that “children” are our responsibility. Though times have changed, shouldn’t the village look after the children?
Sadly to say, Shaniya’s story should make all of us sit up and take note. Our women and children are under attack. Why wait for a tragedy in “village” to check the lights?
The foundation upon which our character was formed has been left behind by a valueless generation. That line that separates right from wrong is completely ignored causing us to drift away from the morals and values America was founded on.
The role of the parents has shifted to being friends to our youth? Who is really in charge?
This high tech competitive global society offers more information designed to open up opportunities that generations past could only dream about. Crime, illiteracy, poverty and greed have replaced dreams, hard work and integrity.
Looking ahead, can you see the light? Our community is not immune, and it’s time to wake up and band together before we feel the heat.
My passion is children, and I’m challenging the community to help me protect our most valued resource: “our children.”
It’s time to address areas of concern because their quality of life is at stake. Preparation is the key!
When we are proactive, there is time to think and plan. Daily struggles in our homes, schools, churches and communities indicate it’s time to unite and find solutions.
Times have changed, and we must do a better job of communicating with, training and teaching our children to solve the problems they’ll face in the future.
For years we’ve developed beautiful plans illustrating how schools, churches, communities work together. It sounds good, but why is it so difficult to get the groups to form teams that continuously work cooperatively to improve the community?
Our children are counting on us, now. It’s time to redefine the village and the role each stakeholder plays. I believe it all boils down to building real relationships.
Just think of the lesson for children if adults would learn to play together in the sandbox.
Dr. Evelyn J. Johnson
Tarboro
