Children are Hungry

My grandson is an avid basketball player. He loves the game, but that is not all that he does while on the basketball court. He talks with the young people that come to play and watch. Here are some of the things he hears in our neighborhood.

The only meals many of the young children get are at school -- the school lunch.

Elementary school children are wondering where they will eat during the summer while school is out.

Children discussing how they can "cop" some food from the 7 Eleven without getting caught so that they don't go hungry.

Children are asking for change so that they can get something to eat.

And, yes, they offer to do things for food.

PEOPLE this isAmerica where we throw away more food in one day than some countries serve in a year.

People this is Prince George's County "the riches Black County" in America!

We have mothers living with their children in cars.

We have kids on the playgrounds all day because parents cannot afford the $180+ daycare cost and, of course, there are few if any free after school programs or services for these children.

Our children are suffering, and most of their mothers work every single day, but $7.50 an hour just does not cut it when our rent is $1,500 a month, and you still have to pay utilities, transportation, clothes, and a host of other necessities.

I do not have the answer, but I know that the education system is NOT THE PROBLEM WITH EDUCATION in our Country. We have always known that hungry children do not learn. Children living every day on the streets cannot learn. Children with their basic needs met don't stand a chance of learning.

YES, a few get through. You are absolutely right some children are excelling I ask you to stop and check who those children are? What background are they coming from? How often do they come to school with an empty stomach? Coming from shelters or abandon housing and hiding their shame because they want to fit in and be liked?

Going to school daily is not getting an education. Learning how to pass a standardized test is not a measure of learning. The most highly paid teachers in the district will not bring about education when children are hungry, angry, demoralized, and not the real focus.

Most teachers do not live in the communities in which they teach. They live in "more respected and cultured neighborhoods." I have had the pleasure of hearing some of their thoughts about having to come to some of those less fortunate neighborhood schools.

When I was younger someone explained the acronyms people have behind their names -- BS (bull____), MS (more ____), and PhD (piled higher and deeper). They also told me that those who could do nothing else entered the teaching profession so that they could do nothing and pay back their school loans. Dedicated teachers make sure that their students' needs are met before trying to feed their brains. I had a few of those teachers in my lifetime, and because of them, my life has been an incredible journey. I also know a few of those dedicated teachers living in my community, but they are definitely not the norm.

The jails were not filled with juveniles. There were few if any shelters. It was a rare occasion to have a funeral for anyone under the age of 30 that did not die in childbirth or from snakebite or some other unnatural cause. Everywhere we look children are being suspended or expelled from school -- grade school! Homes and parents are blamed, many cases rightly so, but then who can be at home with children when they have to work two jobs just to make ends meet.

Does of this disturb anybody but me?

Today, I am praying for peace and blessings! These kinds of conditions with our children This just should not be. We talk about children being our most valuable resource -- and yet they have no voice at the table. Those who are supposed to be protecting them and their interests are the biggest offenders -- our governments!

A CHANGE must come, and that change must start with each one of us! Demand more, but be willing toGIVE MORE OF YOURSELF, YOURTIME, and TALENTS. Let's not just throw money and hope that someone else will fix the problem.