Having grown up as an army brat, I didn't have any contact outside the
army community until the 7th grade. The 7th and 8th grades were in a parochial
school in San Francisco, and high school was first in rural northern York
County, PA (1965-1966), and later in Camp Hill, PA. What I saw in that first
year of high school made me sick to my stomach and I was lucky to transfer to
the second school.
What you're describing in the communities you've been in reminds me of
that first high school, and my memories of that and the subsequent years of
adult life firmly tell me that no amount of education will overcome peer
pressure. Self-discipline is seen as a joke, and self-destruction with drugs,
etc. is seen as a badge of courage.
My idea of "living on the edge" consists of camping along the edge of the
Grand Canyon.
Chris
>
>Absolutely not true in this case. It is the cultural norm in this specific
>community. Education and opportunity have nothing to do with it. The peer
>pressure to have a baby is over the top. We pastored a church in that
>community for four years and literally all of the girls that were in our
>youth group have gotten pregnant before graduating. There were a couple
>that even had full-ride scholorships that turned down the free college
>education.
>
>Unfortunately, that scenario is not unique.
>
>Our current community has substance abuse and teen suicide as the main
>issues.
>
>AG
>
>
>The problem, Ken, is lack of education and opportunity. Especially, in the
>> case of teenagers, of accurate, useful sex education and access to
>> affordable birth control.
>>
>
>
>--
>Ken Norton
>ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
>http://www.zone-10.com
>--
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