Our Children, Our Future

Our children are our future.  Our elders are our history. Together, they are the most precious resources of our community. It is our duty and responsibility to provide for them, and for all citizens of District 44, a better quality of life.

Children are a product of their parents.  Parents are responsible for their children. Mothers nurse them when they are babies, and are the primary caregivers; especially here in Lafayette where fifty percent of newborn black babies are born to unwed mothers. Coincidentally, forty percent of black children drop out of school before finishing high school. Those kids who are dropping out of high school are not Democrats, Republicans, or independents; they are our children.

If a child has not been taught by his parents to be interested in school, why should he be? If in his home he has never been told why he should be interested in school and does not understand what an education can do for him, he is not prepared for a learning experience.  We must reach our children so that they may be educated and take their rightful place in this society as productive individuals. It is easier to build the character of a child than to repair the character of an adult.

We cannot let our children's life experience be dominated by crime, teen pregnancy, poor grades in school, negative peer pressure and drugs.  There are compelling forces drawing our children to street corners and we must counter those forces.

I urge you to join our campaign as we plan for the future of our families, especially our children and the elderly.

"The great promise of America offers a better life for all who work for it. No matter who you are, where you come from, or what you believe. As an American, you live in a land that offers you all the possibilities your hard work, common sense and our God-given talents can bring." Working together, we can and will alleviate those barriers that negatively impact our community.

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