It does, indeed, take a village.
That was something we all understood long before Sen. Hillary
Clinton co-opted the phrase. It was a lesson particularly well
learned among those of us who grew up in a small town. Act up just
a little, and your daddy’s barber’s first cousin was bound to make
note of it, and there would be a
”
discussion
”
waiting for you when you got home.
It does, indeed, take a village.
That was something we all understood long before Sen. Hillary Clinton co-opted the phrase. It was a lesson particularly well learned among those of us who grew up in a small town. Act up just a little, and your daddy’s barber’s first cousin was bound to make note of it, and there would be a “discussion” waiting for you when you got home.
That’s why Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz’s efforts toward conducting a study into the viability of a Boys and Girls Club for San Benito County is the right idea at the right time.
As any parent knows, it’s the nature of adolescents to be bored much of the time. Who hasn’t had to smother a grin when a child pulls an Ipod from her ear, sets the cell phone down and says, “there’s nothing to do.”
In South Valley and San Benito County, it’s particularly hard to take that statement seriously. Little League, scouting, city recreation leagues, the YMCA, church groups, boxing clubs, community theater, extracurricular school activities, the list of things to involve oneself in is enough to humble the most committed Type A personality. But giving kids alternatives is the way to provide positive outlets for the greatest number of chronically bored teens.
And what most of those activities have in common is that they cost money. De La Cruz is pushing for an outlet where kids can expend energy without expending a lot of cash. It’s worth a serious look.
Hollister residents are still mourning the death of a teenage boy who was recently run down. The suspects are two older teens who police say are known to be affiliated with a criminal gang.
That’s not a tragedy for just one family. The perpetrators of the crime come from families with cause to grieve as well.
As long as young people find something attractive in affiliating themselves with organized gangs, we as a community have not done enough. De La Cruz, who serves on an anti-gang task force advisory committee, has embraced that idea and gone further with his efforts toward adding a low-cost alternative through Boys and Girls Clubs. He deserves the support of the community in this endeavor.
