Strong families offer hope for future
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Editor,
Listening to a newscast on a Sunday morning when Hillary Clinton announced her run for the White House, I noted one of her campaign slogans: “When families are strong, America is strong.”
I happen to think that is a wonderful sentiment and goal. I also have lived long enough since the 30’s to know that the “family” and “family structure” in America is definitely not what it used to be. And we all know about divorce rates, single parent families, drugs, the noticeable lack of respect for authority by young people, and the proliferation of explicit sexual content as entertainment and something to be sought or bought.
This brings me to my amendment to Hillary’s slogan and it goes like this: “When communities are strong and help families be strong, America is strong.” I firmly believe that our society has wandered so far off course with “true family values” that it is necessary for communities to face up to the challenge of helping build stronger family structures through well thought out and carried out community programs of all kinds. I really believe this to be necessary and something that needs to be recognized and stepped up to. And this goes for smaller more isolated communities as well as communities within large metropolitan areas.
This national vision, mission and action being implemented would be one of the most powerful nation-building programs ever. It would encompass health, wealth, education, politics, law enforcement, and a myriad of social concerns.
This is why, in previous letters to the editor, I have been so interested in promoting the Kids Co-op project being started for the Mission Valley, right here in Polson as part of the Montana Co-op. Our youth are the hope for our future. And presently with the many problems we have in the valley with family breakdowns, suicides, drugs, alcohol, etc., the Kids Co-op is a perfect example of a community vision, mission and action designed to provide a safe and important teaching/learning environment beyond the schoolroom doors.
Bob McClellan
Polson
