According to a story from Media General, Rockingham County schools exceed the state average when it comes to school violence. For the school year 2005-06 there were "64 reports of possession of a controlled substance, 43 reports of possession of a weapon, 20 reports of possession of alcoholic beverages, 13 reports of assault on personnel, three reports of assault resulting in serious injury, three reports of bomb threats, and one report each of possession of a firearm, sexual offense and assault involving use of a weapon."
Meanwhile, the News & Record is reporting that given a typical group of 10 students from Rockingham County, "half have had sex, three have smoked pot and, within the previous two weeks, two have gotten drunk. At least three have beaten another person, two have carried a weapon for protection, two smoked cigarettes, one has considered suicide and one has been a victim of sexual abuse."
Young people need to know what the limits are. They want that, even. They anticipate those of us who are older than they are to show them what is right and what is wrong, what will give them strength and what will destroy them. If we expect the best out of them, they will in turn expect only the best out of themselves. We owe them that much at the very least.
In light of all this, I defy anyone to tell me how having an admitted thief on the school board is going to be a suitable role model for young people to emulate.
Well, Ron Price is on there now. Some of us did our best to convince him that he was going to be doing a lot more harm than good if he insisted on being seated. But there was really nothing we could do to persuade him. And now Ron Price is setting the example to the children of Rockingham County that they can get away with breaking the law and not have to worry about the consequences for what they do.
"Not having to worry about the consequences for what you do..."
This is how the Roman Empire came to fall.
And people like Ron Price are slouching us ever so gradually toward Gomorrah.
The fight ultimately belongs to God. But He has certainly called us to occupy as best we can in the meantime.
I realize that in all likelihood, Ron Price is going to "win" this situation in the eyes of the world...
...but since when did temporal victory ever really matter to those seeking justice in the eyes of God?
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