WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR YOUTH?

By Toney Atkins

Just when many folks seem to be feeling the whole world has gone nuts, kids at three different schools in the U.S. have threatened terrorist acts against fellow students.

Fortunately, the incidents were halted before the actual crimes could be committed, but one can't help but wonder: What's happening here? Why are some of our young people striving to be domestic terrorists of sorts, with heroes such as Germany's evil dictator Hitler, who was brought down in World War II.

It's easy to blame the ease of communicating and exchanging ideas and plans on the Internet. It's easy to blame the violence and sexuality in the movies and on television. It's easy to blame parents who don't know -- and often don't care -- what their kids are really doing and who, in many cases, turn over control of the household to the children rather than taking personal responsibility.

I certainly don't have an answer to these chilling developments in our society. Many youngsters have always felt like outcasts and alone, either ignored or made fun of by their peers, but in older days, it rarely crossed their minds to resort to taking weapons to school and plowing down teachers, administrators and classmates. There used to be an innate sense of morality in most kids, but that seems to be another vanishing thing of the past.

There are many fine young people who will grow up to be great adults despite problems with parents, friends, romance and all the issues that are encountered in the growing-up process. No one is perfect, but these young people don't sink into mindless evil, choosing instead to fight to overcome all obstacles. They, too, have had frustrations, unhappy homes and friends who often didn't turn out to be true, but they rise above that and move forward, knowing that at some point in their struggles they will experience the good things of life, love and success. They don't give up because others seem to have low expectations because they set their own. They overcome the past.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, a fear has been in the back of the minds of many that foreign terrorists will invade our land again. We need to awaken to the fact that domestic terrorists are already among us, and it appears that many of them are children.

As I wrote earlier, I have no answers, just a lot of questions. What if parents went back to parenting, loving and truly caring for their young but not letting the kids rule the roost? They have to learn the hard facts of life, but not before they've known what it's like to experience the wonderful innocence of youth. They need good role models, not role models who don't give a damn.

Let us pray for this generation, because the shocking things we're seeing today may only be terrible signals of things to come.