Yesterday I was watching the local evening news and I heard that a 15 year old had been shot. This saddens me a great deal.  Where were the parents? Why wasn't the child in school? The list of questions as to how this could happen could go on and on. The fact is a 15 year old should not be participating in such acts of violence. It shouldn't even be in our vocabularies that 15 year olds and younger children are participating in horrific acts of violence. Yet in our city we often hear of youngsters getting shot and/or participating themselves in criminal activities.

I know times have changed, but should we accept all changes? I'm not that old and I know when I was in junior high and high school I was way too busy to even be hanging out on the streets in early afternoons. Now it seems as if too many children are left alone and they are making poor decisions.  We as parents need to guide our children into more positive outlets.

For those of you reading this, you obviously care about your children because you are participating in Raising Bakersfield. How do we help the wayward children who do not have the parental support that our children have? Can we stop the violence that is affecting the youth of Bakersfield?