After reading this article I was intrigued by this question. My first thought was to agree with the
article, but after further thought, I believe the majority of Americans respect
and value our children and childhood. Therefore, I disagree with the article. My examples below are a reflection of the
Butte community (which I am familiar with), but I believe our community is
representative of many communities across our country.
For example, many of us are involved in our schools, and we volunteer
to help in both academic and sporting activities. We
give of our time not only for the benefit of our own children, but for other’s
children too. In our community, we
continue to invest in the infrastructure to benefit our children. An example of this would be the passage of
the $65 million bond for renovations to the middle school and security updates
to at all the elementary schools. This
bond passed by a 65 percent margin, proving that an overwhelming majority of our
voters want to invest in providing a safe productive learning environment for
our children. Investing in the future of
generations of children to come.
We also give our time and money to social programs that are specific
to help children. These include fundraisers
to provide food, clothing, school supplies, and programs for the disadvantaged youth
of our community. Organizations like
YMCA, Little Leagues,United Way, Butte Emergency Food Bank, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters are
financially supported by the community, and they are serving many of the needs
of the children of our community, regardless of the family’s ability to
pay. This includes after school
programs, school supplies, food programs, summer camps, mentoring programs, all
with the primary focus on the children’s well being. I also see the business community stepping up
with allowing their employees to volunteer (during work time) to coach, and to mentor
at various clubs (science and engineering, reading, etc.).
In summary, I base my disagreement on first hand knowledge
of being a parent, and being involved in our community.
Its essential to have access to programs that support and advocate for the youth community. When we first moved here in 2016, I was amazed that the schools didnt already have security in place and was relieved when the bond passed. That is something the government should, in my opinion, regulate at all educational institutions. Having a plan in place and the proper security is, unfortunatly, a by-product of the right to bare arms. It would be beneficail to see Butte also create an indoor park setting, say, in one of the empty mall stores, that incorporates infant developmental structures as well as more advanced structures (i.e. rock climbing walls), and areas for sensory-sensitive children. The cold climate here isnt condusive for regular child play. I love Butte and would love to see even more for the children!
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