THE GREAT
DEPRESSION
The Lost Art of Family
By Freya Pruitt
What do you picture when you think of family?
Do you see a mom and dad gathered around the
Christmas tree smiling at their happy children? Do
you see the entire family sitting at Grandma’s house
for Thanksgiving Day turkey? Do you see your children growing up to be happy well balanced adults?
Do you have any fear associated with raising your
children in today’s complicated world?
If you are alive and breathing fear has to have
entered your sphere of consciousness. Things have
most definitely changed in today’s modern world.
The “art” of family appears to have subtly
morphed into a rather numb and unengaged
emotional wasteland. Our children are expected to
speak a foreign language by middle school. They
are expected to achieve a 110% GPA, ace their
SAT’s, go on to college and graduate with honors.
As we watch our children graduate, we expect
them to jump into the professional Corporate
arenas and immediately get the dream job-without
any true life experience. How do we expect them
to survive? The days of a college education guaranteeing a great paying job is over! Upon graduation,
our naïve children are thrust into the mouth of a
lion waiting to devour them! No wonder the main
focus of the vast majority of College graduates is to
find a job and apartment “close to the bars.” If you
watch “House Hunters” or “My First Place” on
HGTV you might be shocked that the primary
qualifications for Urban housing is an apartment
close to the bar scene!
America - get real! This is your official wake up
call. Most of the children on the news are from
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good homes - they are our children - not inner city
gangs. Have you ever stepped back to consider the
level of alcohol poisoning that occurs at each
spring break? What is so funny about kids guzzling
a 12 pack of beer through a hose? These romps are
televised on the news every year. Most parents just
go into a state of numb denial; “Oh, ALL the kids
do it.” Yes, you may be right – but WHY is this
happening and what makes this type of behavior
acceptable? Why are our super achieving children
risking their lives on spring Break? If you think this
only happens on spring Break; think again. Here
are some REAL statistics - yes, facts about our
children and grand-children.
FACT: ILLICIT TEEN DRUG USE
8th Grade – 30.3%
10th Grade – 44.9%
12th Grade – 52.8%
More than 60% of teens said drugs were sold,
used, or kept at their school. 20% of 8th Graders,
have said they have tried Marijuana. 28% know a
classmate or friend who has used Ecstasy.
Approximately 15% of 10-12th Graders have used
Amphetamines. An estimated 1.8 million (o.8%) of
youth age or older,are current users of Cocaine.
Teen arrests often test positive for recent drug
use. The National Institute of Justices Arrestee
and drug monitoring System (ADAM) drug testing
program, found that 66% of underage male
arrestees tested positive for Marijuana.
MARIJUANA – Marijuana is the most widely
used illicit drug used by teens today.
Approximately 60% of the kids who use drugs, use