Here’s the thing, people are divided. It seems that all the same issues that have been going on for the last 60 plus years are still happening. We need to decide as a community what we are expecting the next generation of adults to be.

One person alone cannot make the changes needed, but each person working together as a group can. Do we want our children to be name calling, angry grown-ups? I don’t, I tell my kids to treat people how they want to be treated. Yet, you watch the news and people are trash talking politicians, celebrities, and people in general are doing the same thing on social media.

How can we as the parents of the next group of grown-ups expect them to be better than we show them. I try to keep the news off around my kids, yes I want them to be informed but they do not need to be subjected to constant negativity. In fact, I don’t either, I have numerous health issues that make staying positive hard enough without surrounding myself with all the negative talk.

Each person has basic human rights, they should be free to make choices for their own bodies and love who they want as long as those things are not hurting anyone. Nearly 100 years after women got the right to vote and we are still struggling for equality. Almost 60 years after Civil Rights marches and laws we still do not treat people of different races the same as everyone else. People are the SAME!

We are all made of the same parts, we all want the same things in life. Regardless of beliefs, gender, color and orientation. That is what I want my sons to know. I want them to be adults who fight for everyone’s rights to be loved and respected. I want them to treat all people they interact with how they want to be treated. I want them to be kind, understanding and compassionate. I want my sons to be men that can be looked up to. Alone we cannot change things, but together, as parents of the next generation we can shape who they will become and hopefully society in the process.