Leadership

      There's few poor "being led" people, just poor leaders.

            So up front congratulations are due to so many parents who are doing their job as a Mom or Dad to raise their kids as best they can. They know both the highs and lows of such a long term task, and keep at it.  Good on 'em. Most of their kids won't say thank you until these kids get older, too. These parents with children are generally good leaders, and there are so many examples of their success.

            Yet in the same vein, it sure seems like we have government programs, well intended at their conception I am confident, that seem to support breaking up Families into single parent homes, usually falling on the single Mom. Such programs are all too often conceived and implemented by poor leaders. Now some of these programs go back over half a century, beginning primarily with the War on Poverty, at least to me.

            Now the implications are appearing all over. And they were forecasted by many, to include now deceased Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who was a Democratic Senator for 24 years, among his many positions held. As to implications look at the outbreak of gangs all over, riots and unprovoked attacks by young people on about anyone, and poor academic results in public schools. To me the common theme is poor leadership, all too often influenced by government programs that help break up the two parent home.  And for those that see the problem as primarily African-American, I see the problem as one of leadership.  As bad luck would have it I live in a poor Appalachian area where there are a lot of poor white people, and the problems are similar with poverty and broken homes being a common theme.

            So what are we to do?

            I would suggest voting for new leaders, at all levels, like from school board to federal President,  who will promote laws and programs that promote the two parent home. Now that is an electorate (voter) problem, but at least the voters have a good alternative to what is going on today.

            And again, all is not doom and gloom. But for the areas where there is a lot of gloom, then the voters and future leaders have work to do. And if it took us as an American culture five decades to get into this mess, then it will probably take five more decades to get to a better situation that will benefit all. Good on 'em I would say!