If you were to ask any 3rd or 4th grade kid what their dream is, most of them would tell you something like, a doctor, a firefighter, a police officer, an astronaut, a pilot, etc. The list goes on and on. But when a kid gets to 10th or 11th grade and drops out of high school gets into drugs, drinking and sex, then it's a different story. Somewhere between 4th and 10th grade kids are losing their dreams and plummeting. In people 15-24, suicide is the third leading cause of death! In 2000 there were almost twice as many suicides as homicides. Suicide is the last straw to any of the other things that these 'almost graduates' turn to. They turn to drinking, drugs, sex, they carry guns, they commit crimes, etc. But these are all done when they still have a hope. In one high school 28 kids committed suicide in one year. Two of them went under the bleachers and hung themselves together!

The remedy to all of this??

"Parents",, thats the answer. Too many parents get married and have kids and somehow think that life will not change for them. Somewhere down the line they forget about the kids that they brought into the world and figure they will take care of themselves. The blame is thrown in every direction and no one will own up to it.. But the responsibility to raise kids in a Godly way falls on the parents. Divorce is a leading cause of why kids turn. becuase once a divorce takes place, the kids usually only see one parent and then that parent is usually too caught up in fighting for something with the ex and everything else that they feel is important to 'them' disregarding their children!

So, parents, step up and take back the responsibility that accepted when you chose to have kids! your kids deserve it. Don't let them be another statistic!