By Rivkah Sweedler
The story of Colton Harris-Moore is a cautionary tale of what happens when a society does not provide in a positive way for its children, as when a society spends more on prisons than on schools, more on war than on health care.
We as a society have an increasing number of children with ADHD, depression and other imbalances. Medicating, punishing and imprisoning are not useful ways to help afflicted persons regain their stability and centeredness so they can be positive members of society.
When I was in Cuba in 2000, I did a story telling in a neighborhood school. I observed among the children a strong sense of cooperation and looking out for one another. Among U.S. schools I had been observing competitiveness and bullying. When asked, the Cubans explained that their philosophy as a Nation was that one should look out for and be kind to the more troublesome or difficult children. This way they would not grow up to be a problem or threat to the community, but rather a part of it. I would call this “Properganda”!
This cautionary tale is a wake-up to re-evaluate our approach to achieving a civil society that is truly civil.
