Why are Kids Dying? Educating Women is the Key to Curing the Violence

All morning I have been listening to people talking about how to solve the problem of violence toward children in Chicago.We are a nation addicted to violence.  It is crazy.  I have felt safer in so many other countries on this earth.  How can we change this? Violence is self medication for anger and hurt.  How can this change?

I truly believe we are all one in this world, and what harm I do to another I do to myself.  That may be too advanced at this moment. What is the answer?

So many ways to solve it come up, but what really works?    I think about it all the time.  There seem to be so many ways  but  I can’t do it all nor can I support everything.  I wish I could.  I have mentored. children in New Hampshire. That helped in some small ways. It was sort of like group therapy the way we ran it.  How can kids cope when they are angry.  They cannot solve their rage on their own.  They want to travel in packs.  How can we get them into good groups.  How can we deal with their anger.  First of all the local communities must take responsibility. Schools are not safe for children, they have so much violent peer pressure.  So much sexual pressure.  How can that change? How can we fill the idle time of children with positive time?    What kind of reward system can work?

On CNN the answer came.  Have you read Three Cups of Tea byGreg Mortenson?   It is a wonderful inspiring book.  Greg was speaking on CNN this morning.  He has built many schools in Afganistan.  He is fearless and dedicated. He began talking about how the young boys are recruited in Afganistan and Pakistan to be terrorists and there is a never ending supply of these children.  When people are poor, in need they will go with who ever is the strongest.  No secret there.

What has made a difference is educating children but most important educating the girls who grow into mothers.

Mothers keep their sons from joining the Talaban and other groups that destroy.  That is the truth.

What is the answer in Chicago? It is reflecting to us all.  What is the answer in any big city, or small for that matter?  The people don’t snitch, it is the code of the streets.   Education is the only answer that will make the changes needed.  Peace comes with education.

Mothers have influence over their families, their children and therefore over everything. We must focus on the education of women who live in the areas that have the biggest problems.

The statistics about the people in jail  say  mainly they are people without education. Mostly men and boys but they have mothers.

Education starts at home but also in school, church, neighborhoods.   A person without an education is vulnerable, alone,scared.

They want to belong to a group that will protect them.  What is more appealing than guys with guns, knives, intimidating

people in the hood?   In my opinion men and boys are more vulnerable to this appeal.  I have not heard of girl gangs.

The boys want to be strong, unafraid.  We all want to belong. Education opens so many doors for us.  We need to educate the

children to communicate in non violent ways.  They should not need to protect themselves.  They need places to go that are safe.

But those boys and men have mothers.  And I know that for the most part they always relate to what their mothers feel.  I

remember one actor coming to work  so worried. He had been picked up by the police for buying some dope and the first thing he worried

about was what his mother would think if she found out.  Wierd but true.

What we have to do is solve the problem of getting the women in the world educated.   They have influence everywhere. It may be subtle and we hear how they are treated as second class citizens.  It is not the truth, but in some countries men like it that way.  In many countries they don’t

get the chance for education.  I believe  women for the most part are born wise in many ways, but  they need to feel they are worthwhile

and to apply their intelligence to their families.  Boys equate violence with masculinity. TV has done a good job of that.

Education  is not an instant fix, but it is the  only way that will solve so many problems in our world.  The attitude and understanding of the

value of education for all women must be pursued.   Violence is not really masculine, it is a virus of the mind inherited from film and war and experience. It is not the truth.   We have to reeducate our youth. Education for everyone is important.

And for the rest of us. I believe we need to continue educating ourselves all our lives.  The older people have to set the example. We have to make education attractive to all.  When we look at little children they love to learn. Let’s teach them the right things so they can live a full happy life and learn to deal with adversity in a way that does not kill them.