Parents, never take the time to learn parenting skills.  They take a normal, healthy baby and, through their lack of skills and a willingness to become skilled, guide their children toward hopelessness.  They fail to spend time encouraging their offspring to build dreams of hope.  They abuse, neglect and mistreat them from birth.  They do not try to understand nor encourage their children to become strong, self-sufficient and hopeful individuals.  And, the worst results of such parental misguidance are children shooting children.

            Adults, who neglect to prepare for their eventual retirement, fail to make adequate plans.  They wake up one day and find themselves trapped in a future filled with meager income and no other training to turn to for income supplement.  Social security is not enough.  They have no savings and soon, hopelessness permeates the remainder of their life.

            But, the beauty of life is that we can always turn hopelessness into hope.  Each day, we have the choice to become a better, stronger and more productive individual.  We always have the choice to begin improving our education in order to open brighter career options.  We have the choice to work hard at our relationships and grow a strong marriage and family atmosphere.  Each day, we can choose to become better parents and be encouragers of our children.  Every day, we can put a few cents aside to increase our financial stability to live better in our later years.  At every election, voters can make correct choices and place visionary leaders in office.  They can demand that officials work for the good of the community.  And, when they fail to bring hope into the community, vote them out of office.