Give the kids some positive choices

Frontiersman editorial board

As another tragic accident leaves a teen life hanging in the balance, people again struggle for answers. That search often leads to finger pointing. Most often we hear, "The parents need to be more in control," or "Why don't these parents know where their kids are?" Still, for those of us who remember those teen years, we know it's fair to say that no parent is in complete control all the time. Kids break the rules sometimes and, sadly, sometimes once is enough to bring tragedy.

The real question is, does the youth culture here in the Valley break the rules too much, and why? Police tell us that Mat-Su teens do, indeed, drink more during the summer months, and that leads to a number of problems. Summer is when young people have nothing but free time, and free time is harder to fill than it might at first seem. The Valley offers a lot of outdoor opportunities, and many young people take advantage of that. There is summer baseball, and a few other activities. How are these kids filling those long summer evenings, though?

What choices does the Valley offer to young people? There's the Boy's and Girl's Club, but that's pretty much a daytime activity. Where do kids go to just hang out after that? There's nothing like a youth center where kids can just hang out and be kids. There's no game room. No bowling alley. Any parent of a teen knows that kids can't be chained to the picnic table in the backyard. They're going to go out and socialize. The best you can do is offer them interesting, and safe, ways to do that.

Instead of putting together bond proposals for ski resorts, ice rinks and heaven knows what else, why not propose something for the kids? Yes, it's important for parents to be engaged with their teens. It's critical that parents talk to their teens and point them in the right direction. But the community can certainly help parents by providing at least one good direction to point. Parents are the first and last line of defense, but the community is part of the battle, too. After all, many of us in the community are parents, too.

Rather than beating our chests and laying blame and then going back to sleep until the next tragedy, why don't we try something different? During the upcoming election process let's hear a candidate stand up for those who can't yet vote. Let's have a candidate step up to the plate and say we need put forth an effort for something that really matters -- our kids.

We know it can be done with positive results. The skate park has benefited kids and business owners who felt besieged by skaters. Business owners were concerned because skaters were using the sidewalks, handrails, and everything else they could get their wheels on, outside of local businesses. Let's face it, though, skating is not a criminal act, they just had no place to go. Enter the skate park. Now the kids have a place to gather and do something they enjoy, and business owners don't have to worry about their property being damaged and their customers being disturbed. Maybe such a creative solution will encourage teens to do something safer with their evening hours, too.

The success of the skate park should tell us, if we build it, they will come.