*The relative material wealth that most Americans enjoy has redefined how we measure success.
Many people in our poorest communities pursue the purchase of a plasma screen TV with more zeal than they do an education for their children. Ironically, to some of our economically challenged neighbors, a luxury car in their driveway is of more importance than providing the blueprint of character and integrity to serve as the foundation for their families.
Though not the social rule of America’s impoverished, there are far too many examples of this misguided sense of priorities.
The preponderance of violent crimes that plague America’s urban landscape is often perpetrated by those who would be classified as poor or on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. Despite the rationale that deprivation serves as a precursor to depravity, the reality is that the mechanisms that nurture wholesome values and positive character traits are all free and available to those who desire them. -- Richard McCulloch
