I find more and more in this life, we teach/preach one thing to children only for them to find out this is different in the real world. It is truly a world of say one thing and do another.
Many know my involvement with Boy Scouts borders on obsession. 10 days from now I will leave for our annual Summer Camp. This year will be a new twist. We are forsaking our normal camp grounds to "do something different". We are going to Camp Wilkes in Biloxi. The problem will be with one of the classes I teach. I teach a merit badge called Environmental Science. The lessons include things such as ecosystems, weather impact, erosion, living organisms, need for water, and most notably, pollution. So as I teach these ideals to 22 young boys on the edge of Biloxi Bay, how is it going to look when the oil is washing ashore?
How do you tell young men to "do their part" in reducing environmental impact while the powers that be sit around and let an entire region of the country be destroyed? How do you teach young men to be accountable for their actions in this life, when we don't hold corporations accountable for their mess? Why instill in young men the need to stand up for what's right, when we don't expect our elected officials to do the same? Isn't it amazing how low our standards are when we hold them up to the things we teach our children?
I don't know when this country turned it's back on it's own ideals, but it has. We all think we are above the law. Or the rules don't apply to us. Or most common, we have an excuse not to do what we say. Is it any wonder our kids feel like their are no boundaries anymore? These kids need to see some adults stand firm in their beliefs. They need to hear an adult say no excuse is acceptable. They need to see a country that is willing to do without rather than forsake it's ideals. This is not a new cry, a song from the eighties, "Give me something to believe in" speaks of generations that have lost something to put their trust in.
So, I honestly ask for your input. How do I explain environmental responsibility to these boys, while the oil washes ashore? It is something I don't know how to spin. Isn't it time to stop spinning things??
