Mom of the year...no kidding

Written by David DiCrescenzo on . Posted in Guest Articles

Most of us have seen the images of the mom that smacked her teenage son all the way to the car removing him from the protest in Baltimore.  She has gained the title of Mom of the year for her parenting.  There were even cartoons saying "forget the police, bring in the moms"....the solution to all of this is right there, in a joke. 

Can we really blame slavery from almost 2 centuries ago, or oppression, or lack of opportunities, or should we blame the undeniable deterioration of family values that by coincidence seem to be more dominant in poorer areas? 

Coincidence?  Maybe not. Under the guise of compassion the welfare system has created a cycle of dependency that rewards broken families and single mothers.  One receives a lot more assistance if the father is absent from the home and if the mother is unwed, thus creating a huge incentive against families. 

The "war on poverty" did absolutely nothing to eliminate poverty, we actually have a bigger problem today 50 years later.  The "war on poverty" did accomplish what they didn't reveal as their goal.  It kept people poor, it kept them needing help, it taught them that the head of the household is the welfare office, that moms are better off single, that dads are not needed, that being a victim, although undesirable, is the only way to survive. 

If all moms started to discipline their kids like the so called mom of the year, if all moms actually took their responsibility as educators, mentors, healers, and partners with God in the formation of these young minds, there wouldn't be crime infested neighborhoods, there wouldn't be Mike Browns, Freddie Grays, and the thousands looting and rioting. 

Sure there are bad cops, but the majority are good cops that sadly have to deal with a side of life that most of us never see, a side of life that makes it very hard to always know how tolerant one can be before becoming the victim. 

One brave mom, that has not forgotten her role in a child's life, and her instant fame for doing what all moms should be doing, might just be the best thing that came out of Baltimore! 

It is not a racial problem, it is a lack of family values problem. So yes! Bring in the moms, and dads, and grandparents!

Sybele Capezzutti