As the Legion recognizes Children & Youth Month, what are the biggest challenges facing young people today?

Economic opportunity, from a lack of decent-paying jobs to careers that cost more in education than they are worth in paychecks.
43% (357 votes)
Health care, a “growing” concern as today’s youth are heavier and in worse physical shape than in previous generations.
3% (21 votes)
Bullying and its psychological impact.
3% (22 votes)
The need for the kind of discipline and patriotism that can only come through military service.
19% (158 votes)
Over-stimulation from social media, video games and smart phones.
26% (218 votes)
This generation is fine. Remember that it was Socrates who predicted the generation following him was careening toward disaster.
7% (55 votes)
Total votes: 831

 

 

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Comments

THE biggest issue for this generation is not on your list. It is the broken family (which includes the loss of positive male role models and the non transference of positive moral values) that is the primary problem. Most of the young people (under 17) don't live with their birth parents in a stable home. They wonder if they will still live in that place next month, will we have enough to eat all month long, is it safe to sleep tonight, and how come the world hates me so much that I have to deal with all of this.
It is no wonder they can't do well in school, binge eat, live lives through computers, games, and other "virtual reality" methods. For many of my daughter's classmates, the closest thing to male role model they may ever encounter is if they are fortunate enough to have a rock solid, God fearing, drill sergeant in basic training when in desperation they turn to enlistment to get out of the disaster they have grown up in.

Submitted by Robert MacClennan (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 3:11pm

Don't forget to add that these many of these so called families are headed by a woman where the kids have different fathers who impregnate and then leave, the mothers are uneducated, have no parenting skills, are on welfare, unable or unwilling to work, on food stamps, public housing, and come from generations of women of the same background and experiences. The truly sad thing is this is a way of life that is accepted in the minority/low income communities throughout the US.

Submitted by Dadbug : Apr 17, 2014 3:37pm

Amen brother. There is no moral anchor anymore, it's the old if it feels good, do it! Whether it be kill the young unborn, rape and steal, beat up or kill your fellow man for a dime or just for fun. Then there is such an immoral government that also sends the wrong message to the young and old alike. We never will get the genie back into the bottle.

Submitted by G MCGHEE (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 7:50pm

I was torn between the the last two options and picked the one about Social Media. But isn't that what we use to read and reply to the Big Q ?Socrates may have been the first but even Paul Harvey said "In times like these it's good to recall that there have always been times like these.".

Submitted by jim creagan (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 3:32pm

Today parents are children's to whit no moral's no discipline, no religion, no respect. to fixed is to bring back the draft in these way we save the country, Politicians will safe money for the Arm Forces. no for their packets

Submitted by miguel romero (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 3:55pm

The lack of god in our communities and families. there was a time when trust in God was important to Americans. we have lost that and it is something that we need to remember. this is one nation under god isn’t it. we are endowed by our creator in the percent of happiness.
Instead of thinking about how much money we can make. Instead of thinking about what’s in it for us. We need to get back to the ways of our founding fathers. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and those men who signed the declaration of independence. And a woman of this country. When two of their lifes and sons to protect what is stands for.

Submitted by Ronald Shaw (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 4:02pm

MacClennan hit the nail on the head!! Home and family -- STABLE family is what it's about. It's simply too easy to say "you made me mad, I'm outta' here" rather than "let's make this work." And what are today's kids going to do when they're parents with the role models so many of them have today?

Submitted by Neal Miller (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 4:49pm

Crushing debt. Personal and National

Submitted by Robert Amundson (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 5:08pm

Right on, Robert! The movie "Courageous" shows this problem up close!

Submitted by bigfanofmf (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 5:10pm

Being raised in a society that has forsaken Christian morality. Then facing a world without those tools to survive.

Submitted by phillip schrader (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 6:08pm

ANOTHER faulty poll in which the correct answer isn't even provided. We end up with fragmented results of those trying to pick the least wrong answer. There isn't even an "Other" choice. MacClennan hit the nail on the head.

Submitted by S.AzVet (not verified) : Apr 17, 2014 9:35pm

I have to respectfully disagree with MacClennan. He's blaming the victims for the crimes committed by our crumbling economic system. Even the most ambitious kids have trouble finding a summer job today, and high school graduates with good grades can't find the kinds of business and industrial internships that used to serve as an entrance to a career. Today's corporate managers are more interested in increasing profits by cutting overhead rather than by growing the business. Check out the problems vets are having in finding jobs. The stresses caused by unemployment, especially for those laid off from good jobs that were shipped overseas to save a buck. I'm a WWII vet so I've seen my share of questionable economic shenanigans, but the current computer-fueled Wall Street greed is destroying the economic base which used to stimulate our youth.

Submitted by Richard Hofacker (not verified) : Apr 18, 2014 12:32am

And I in turn respectfully disagree with you. You are correct that a crumbling economic situation is a problem, but that problem is only a side effect of an even larger problem, the crumbling of civilized Judeo-Christian society and the family. MacClennan has it right. Most of the "choices" in this poll only represent some of the multiple side effects of the main issue.

Submitted by S.AzVet (not verified) : Apr 18, 2014 12:26pm

HRS started all this. I understand child abuse and how bad it is. But to give a child a free hand to do what he or she wants to do with out any correction from parents, Is wrong !! You can not control them and they only want to do what they want to do, Hrs let the worms out of the can, and no one can put them back in, you let them do this now you are having to live with it, Congraulation AMERICA you really messed this one up !!!!

Submitted by william campbell (not verified) : Apr 18, 2014 1:30am

I am no fan of the welfare state, but I agree with Richard Hofacker, our current economic system is putting a hurt on us all. The concept of commodity human resources (interchangeable people) and businesses’ unwillingness to hire and train people with potential is a big step backwards. I work in the Tech industry, and I keep hearing of big companies crying about the lack of Tech Skills, but none of these companies are offering training. They all want to pick-up the cheapest person with the latest knowledge possible, but leave the training to someone else. How are we or our children supposed to pay for training in the latest technologies when we are struggling to just survive?

Submitted by SGT Shat (not verified) : Apr 18, 2014 10:37am

Now, come on, Sgt, you can't really expect any business to actually make any kind of investment in "Human Resources" (training its employees) that would impact it's bottom line!!! After all, if you won't pay a living wage, why on earth would you pay to train people??

Submitted by Old Grunt (not verified) : Apr 21, 2014 2:32pm

The welfare state,lack of jobs, moving to a "service economy" IE: poorly paid waiters/fast food drones/ect. No real chance to better thier lives, after all you can't expect the 1% to give up any wealth, has this nation in a tail-spin that it can't recover from. It started in the sixties and is getting faster and faster. No one respects this country anymore/ no country (even what used to be our allies) trusts the US to live up to the ideals our nation was based on. It seems to be getting closer and closer to that "Third World Nation" status that businesses need in order to "control the bottom line" so the 1% can grow richer/ making the "management of Goverment" more affordable for them. See it works for some Americian's(just not so much for the rest of us) I believe this whole mess was created by social programs, by politics(Both Parties) and by design. I can see a major social uprising in the not to distant future. Sooner or later the "Slaves" will revolt. A very bad time is coming in this country's history/ just hope there is a country afterwards. Blood/Fire/death.

Submitted by Old Grunt (not verified) : Apr 18, 2014 11:20am

The biggest threat to our young people and the security on this nation is "Global Warming" (climate change).

Submitted by Fred McIntosh (not verified) : Apr 18, 2014 10:41pm