Less Than 1%...

On the day I was born there was 117, 345, 862 people in America.

Or so says Google.  You oughta' ask that fella' stuff sometime.  You get the most interesting answers.  From his babe Alexa, too...

That's just about half of today's 341,845.984, or so says our Census Department.  Not counting the 20 or 30 or 50 million illegal aliens we have roaming around.  Gotta' say, there was a lot more room back then... 

And because I was born deep into the middle of World War Two, I was fortunate enough to grow up around the tough, battle-hardened men who beat back Hitler.  And Mousilini.  And the Emperor.  Men who knew how to live.  And how to teach other young people how to live.  How to camp.  And hunt.  And start a fire.  And live off the land.  And to keep your temper in check if somebody gets in your stuff.

And the number of single-parent households on that same fateful day, at least for me, was precisely 0.7%.  

That is 30% less than One Percent.  Only.  As in, I didn't know of any.  None.

So, okay, how about today?

Today's number of single-parent households?  43.6%.

Nearly one out of every two households in America today is single-parent.  I find that statistic astounding.  And deplorable.  

Do you think there might be any correlation between the number of single-parent households and the number of arrests?  The number of burglaries?  The number of carjackings?  The number of drug crimes?  The number of murders?  The number of resultant felons roaming our streets, just looking for victims?   

We no longer teach Patriotism.  We no longer require basic history and civics classes in many inner-city schools.  We no longer require a Flag in every classroom.  We no longer require the Pledge of Allegiance to be spoken, universally, hand on our hearts, facing the Flag, every day before class begins.  We know longer teach our kids that America is the world's last bastion of Freedom.  A Country owned by its citizens.  Where everything isn't perfect, but everything's free.  That's why so many are trying to come here.  Breaking in, all day every day!

We're told our public show of Patriotism might offend somebody of a different nationality or race or culture or religion.  As they are taught using our Taxpayers' funds.  And often fed, and clothed, and medically treated, paid for by you and me.  

Maybe that's why we see our precious Flags being burned.  And the statues and paintings of our historic heroes being disfigured.  And Jews being hunted down and beaten.  Or even killed.  1936 Germany, anyone?

I blame bad parenting.  Or even no parenting.  Kids have to be taught.  How to think, how to live, how to survive in a challenging world.  There were home economics classes in high school when I was coming up.  Kids were taught how to cook, and sew, and write a check, and be a homemaker.  There were shop classes.  And woodworking classes.  And welding classes.  That's all in our rearview mirror.

Today?  LAUSD, our Nation's largest school district, with more than 250,000 students, graduated 48.2% last year.  A $6.8 Billion Dollar Budget, and it graduates less than half.  To go where?  To the streets, most likely...

It's a downhill cresendo if each generation teaches its offspring even less than the one before.  We have millions of untrained "cruise missiles" out there, just waiting to strike.  To be set off by some sleight.  By some real or imagined diss.  Resulting in a murder, perhaps  And life in the Big House.  Because they were not trained by parents how to live.  In a world where everything doesn't go just right. 

Because they didn't have parent(s).  They had a parent.  And that parent was often their grandmother.  Who'd already done it once and didn't want to do it again. 

Maybe we should go back to Square One.  Maybe we should start all over and teach our kids how to grow up.  And be good, honest, honorable, productive citizens.  And how to start families.    

And then to take responsibility for their irresponsible acts...