We Need Yesterday’s Heores

Everyday we turn on the news and hear about some tragedy perpetrated by someone who is, shall we say, emotionally unstable. More and more, that seems to be the “new normal”. Some people blame guns for these problems, but the last time I checked, there was no record of a gun having committed a crime on its own.

What can we do to change things? I grew up in time when we played Cowboys and Indians and every boy had a toy six shooter. We were parked in front of the television on Saturday morning to watch the Lone Ranger, Rifleman,
or some other western. We couldn’t wait to see our heroes when they came to town and we were always thankful for the opportunity to see them. And Mom and Dad always made sure we got a chance to get our picture taken with our hero.
We all knew it was make believe, but we still got excited. Yep those were the days! Cowboy boots, a six shooter, and horse named Silver (or an old broom!)

Today’s culture has turned its back on heroes; instead, it worships idols. Now we play video games and compete to see who can reach the highest level. There’s certainly nothing wrong with reaching for success, but in the process, we’ve lost something. We have no more good guy heroes to emulate. No more champions of doing the right thing. No great white horse. Now our escape from reality is a box with no moral compass, that lets us play make believe. Could this be where our problems begin? Do we have parents who pay attention or do they just buy the next big thing that ;ets them send their kids off to play by themselves? If we are to stop these tragedies, we must take a long look at ourselves. Are we
spending time with our kids or our we just sending them off to their rooms, or to the neighbors house, to play?

I’m not blaming parents, and I’m not blaming society, I’m blaming US! Each one of us has a responsibility not only our own children, but to everyone’s children. It’s the circle of life. We must work together to keep the circle intact and we must start at home. Pay attention to your kids. Know their friends and their families. Together we can create tomorrow’s heroes, and leave America in their hands!!!