Third, we have to give greater support to our schools, which are struggling to educate an increasingly diverse and at-risk student population. Finally, we need to forge effective partnerships among families, schools, social service systems, public safety, churches and other agencies to create the socializing experiences that will give all of our youths a chance to develop along positive lines. We have a violent history as a country and many experts argue that we are, by nature, a violent culture. As a society, we need to hold up a mirror and examine ourselves in this regard to take a good look at what we have become, how we got here and how we might change for the better. There are some encouraging trends.
Adult crime seems to be on a downward spiral.
We need to discover why this is the case and figure out how to make it continue. As we embark on a new century, we have the occasion to make a fresh start in this regard. We can ill afford not to. Reprinted with permission. Copyright 1998, The Register-Guard.