Bastian letter: Solution lies with us
Someone said, “No nation can be greater than the strength of its individual homes or the virtue of its people.” Sadly, many today say ours is a nation in crisis. Families are splintering around us, our children are becoming alienated from their great cultural heritage, and our leaders seem increasingly hostile and out of touch. I believe the solution is not in our government, schools or pop-culture; I believe it lies within ourselves and our families.
Someone once said, “For every thousand people hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one chopping at the roots.” Example: If the headwaters are polluted, it is virtually impossible to fix the problem of contamination downstream. Historically, we have tried to bypass the home and responsible parents, with government agencies, daycare centers and community outreach.
Gordon Hinckley once gave some proven virtues to remedy our social ills. He believed where there is honesty, other virtues would follow. He believed society is short on forgiveness and mercy; and the answer to poverty is getting our financial houses in order with thrift and industry. And he also suggested that replacing cynicism with optimism would be a panacea for many personal and social ills.
Morris Bastian, Boise
This story was originally published April 9, 2017 at 11:03 PM with the headline "Bastian letter: Solution lies with us."