"Go Ask Alice"

I just finished reading this novel. It was actually a diary written by a fifteen year old drug user. But look, I bet you I've already given you negative connotations of her. Drug user. Isn't that such a horrid term? Especially for the girl, who seemed to be so nice. She didn't even willingly try it. She, for once in her life, was invited to a party and wanted to fit in. In her nervousness, and desire to play it cool, she played the games that the people at the party were playing (unaware, of course, that the stuff they were drinking had drugs in it). She was hooked, although she knew it was wrong. It was this constant battle. And when she'd want to stay clean, it was hard. Her new friends all did it. Everywhere she went, people seemed to do it. She'd stay on drugs for a little, feel bad realizing what it did and go off of it. But the pushers at her school harassed her, bringing her back the first time. But the last time, after so much crap had happened to her, she was done for good. So they put LSD in some of her candy when she was babysitting a neighbor. She ripped out her some fingernails, ripped out some of her hair. She had bruises everywhere and couldn't remember what happened. They put drugs in candy and warned her to watch her sister, etc. It was horrible.

But I want to emphasize a reason why she went through all of that. Think about it: She's a good kid, and she doesn't want to do drugs again. But, at the same time, although she didn't do it willingly, she liked them, and she had friends when she did them. If she was with her friends, she was tempted to do it again. But what brought her back to her friends, and back to the drugs although she didn't want to: fear. She was ashamed the first time, and couldn't talk to anyone. Her grandparents didn't know what had happened, and encouraged her to go out. She was afraid to be judged when it started getting really bad, so she couldn't stop it. Shame. Guilt. Fear.

Do parents, teachers, and people in all places of authority realize what they do to children these days? They trap kids in their mistakes, by being judgmental and un-understanding. A lot of those kids that even the girl in the book met, they had been bribed, or tricked into started, got hooked, and did stupid stuff to get drugs, and even stupider stuff to escape the shame of the first time. But does no one see that we allow this to happen? We don't let people speak freely. We don't let them talk. We condemn them for their past, without ever understanding the pain they go through every waking moment they think of their mistake. We judge. We guilt trip. What kind of humans are we?

I will forever emphasize the lack of free speech in this country and the uprise of political correctness. Even within my own family, I've seen people afraid to speak of their past. I actually felt bad for the people at church sharing their testimonies of past mistakes. But we don't know why people do what they do; we just condemn them. Condemn. Judge. Condemn. Judge.

But after, we're so shocked and depressed when we hear of teens suicide. Or we mock them for their "teenaged angst" and their "attention cries". But we never, ever, ever give them an ear. At least not without consequence. I understand that every action has a consequence, however, could we even try to be understanding? Just try?

Sure, we are free to hate, and judge, and condemn in this country. That's a part of our freedom. And I'm not guilt free. But this is one of the reasons we should work on it: death. Good people that get sucked into bad things, and left helpless because of what someone might say. Trapped. Used.

Is that what we want?

We complain about our country's youth. But do we ever help them? Do we ever stop our lives and listen. Not just partially, but really listen. Our youth needs listeners. Someone to talk to them, and understand them. Someone to help them out. But we're not giving them that. We expect them to listen, and keep their mouth closed, and be respectful. Sometimes, though, adults need to watch how they act towards kids. Maybe it's not completely the youth's fault that they are the way they are.

After all, we do learn from our example.

However, I don't want anyone to think I'm blaming all the adults. Of course, it's not your fault completely. But think about what you could do to stop harm from happening and create a healthy generation of kids. Mitch Albom was right with the line, "All parents damage their children." Of course, this is not intentional. But we all come up short. We have failings. And we hurt other people. Seen or unseen, our every move, affects another person. Whether neglect, or abuse, or nagging. Think before you make a move. When your watching your computer screen while your daughter's talking to you, and when you ground your daughter from all social life for not making her bed, forgetting to commend her achievements in school, think again. Those little things make a differences. And be interested in your kids' lives. Find the balance that works for your family. And watch out for signs that something's going wrong. Make an environment in which people are willing to talk to you in your house. Be gracious, and gentle. Be understanding. And let them know through your actions that you are. Everything you do affects other people inside AND outside of your family.

Are you willing to kill another Alice today?