September 15, 2007
What can be done to combat Tennessee’s high poverty rate?
Reducing poverty has to begin in the home with personal choices. Single-parent families are the greatest single predictor of poverty, educational failure and crime. As long as the number of unwed births and broken families continue to grow, poverty will remain at high levels. It is a terribly complex social problem that has no quick fix.
We must find a way to better motivate our young people to work hard and finish their education. It is the kids who need education the most who are dropping out, because they are not well-motivated by family or community. We have the best educational system and libraries in history that are free — but they are meaningless unless young people choose to take advantage. In a world of high-tech communication, we are failing to communicate the importance of education to the children most at risk.
Responsible two-parent families with education and a work ethic are almost never poor, and are often very well-to-do. Responsibility, education and determination are all personal choices. We can’t really mandate these values, so we need to find a better way to communicate and encourage them.
Grayson Robertson
Brentwood 37027
