"Adults are what's wrong with our children" says Marian Wright Edelman

Can't help wondering...what you're wondering about?
My readers know I rarely cut and paste whole sections of anything here but prefer to link you to a variety of sources instead.

Today I'm making an exception because I believe the following words by Marian Wright Edelman in the foreward to the Children's Defense Fund: America's Cradle to Prison Pipeline - 2007 need to be read...and read...and reread...and for that reason they need to be quickly available in as many places as possible. And when you have time, I hope you will read the entire foreward and the report for both are important efforts on behalf of changing the world for children.

"I am often asked “What’s wrong with our children?” Children having children. Children killing children. Children killing others. Children killing themselves. Children roaming streets alone or in gangs all day and night. Children floating through life like driftwood on a beach. Children addicted to tobacco and alcohol and heroin and cocaine and pot, drinking and drugging themselves to death to escape reality. Children running away from home and being thrown away or abused and neglected by parents. Children being locked up in jails with adult criminal mentors or all alone. Children bubbling with rage and crushed by depression.

Well adults are what’s wrong with our children. Parents letting children raise themselves or be raised by television or the Internet. Children being shaped by peers and gangs and foul mouth rappers instead of parents, grandparents and kin. Children roaming the streets because there’s nobody at home or paying enough attention.Children going to drug houses that are always open instead of to school houses and church houses, mosques and temples that are too often closed. Children seeing adults take and sell drugs and be violent to each other and to them. Adults telling children one thing and doing another. Adults making promises we don’t keep and preaching what we don’t practice. Adults telling children to control themselves while slapping and spanking. Adults telling children to be honest while lying and cheating in our homes, offices and public life. Adults telling children not to be violent while marketing and glorifying violence and tolerating gun saturated war zones in communities all across our land. Adults telling children to be healthy while selling them junk food and addicting them to smoke and drink and careless sex."

Above passage from: Marian Wright Edelman's foreward to:
Children's Defense Fund: America's Cradle to Prison Pipeline - 2007 Report

A Child is Waiting,
Take care...be aware,
Nancy Lee