When our cars break down we take them to a garage to get them fixed and back on the road as soon as possible. Few people will struggle with cars with bad brakes, exhaust or leaking water or oil. Cars are supposed to function well for safety and to keep expenses low. It doesn't require any brains to figure that out.

In the media over the past several years there have and continue to be reports of school shootings and other student attacks on others after being bullied. Couple that with gang activity that still exists and the future for many kids might be quite bleak. So far, legislation meant to address these problems has been useless and school rules, present and future will be useless simply because you cannot force kids to like each other, care for each other or be responsible for each other. This is the same as trying to legislate morality which is pure insanity. In fact, this type of reasoning shifts the blame from the cause to the effect.

Troubled kids do not become troubled in a vacuum. Kids that are excessively quiet, withdrawn, meek or afraid to express themselves are kids who are playing the role that their parents have delegated to them. Poor self-image and poor self-esteem is typical of a child that shows these signs.

In reverse order, children who demonstrate expression easily and consistently and participate regularly in discussions or events and do not allow themselves to be put down or bullied are typically children from supportive homes with fully engaged parents. In both cases, the demonstration of values and hierarchy rules are taught in the home. But in one case these values and rules are of a very poor quality. To put it simply; Garbage in--Garbage out.

As for the bullies that victimize other children, the case is very simple to make that one or both parents in this child's home have taught their child that putting people down and even hurting them is acceptable. The phrase; "He or she didn't get that from me or us" that echo's from the mouths of the parents of a bully is totally false. Attitudes like plants require a planting in fertile soil, frequent watering and food to grow. Re-enforcement of lessons drive all skill types both positive and negative. Any skill is learned through repetition, repetition, repetition! Bad behavior and bad habits come directly from this source.

Common sense should tell Law Enforcement Officials and School Administrators that rules mean nothing without attacking the root cause of any problem. The Ground Zero for attacking the problems of our youth today is pin pointing symptoms and tracing them back to their source in the home instead of the one sided approach of dealing with both the bully and the victim as isolated from causation.

In this politically correct polite world that has been created in the last decade we are failing to attack problems at their roots and putting Band-Aids on gapping wounds while wondering why the tensions mount unabated and tempers explode often in fits of homicidal violence. Without a safety valve of inquiry trying to find real the reasons why any or all attitudes become malignant and then dealing with the source honestly and with bravery we can expect no more than the status quo which is wholly dangerous and unacceptable.

I'm sorry to break the news to people but we often have to step on a lot of toes in order to solve the problems of not only troubled youth, but a society that screams victim when simply asked to make the changes necessary for safe and lawful schools and a safe and lawful society. We have to hold the parents of minor children responsible for what they are raising and sending out to mingle in society. I do not think that the majority of parents would oppose such thinking in that the opposition generally comes from those who's guilt level gives away their agenda of parenting to just get by.