Police can't make up for bad parents

I believe that until people who create a child (you'll notice I didn't say "parent a child") accept the responsibility of parenting that child, the crime rate in America will continue to rise.

Once you give life to a child you need to accept the responsibility of nurturing that child.

That means you have to care enough to keep the child safe, make sure he/she gets an education (make sure the child is in attendance each day, does homework, shows respect to the teacher and fellow students and discipline inappropriate behavior) and keep your child out of gangs. That is what parenting is really about - expecting your child to succeed and being there to help him/her do it.

Children need to be cared for, guided and have parental expectations to succeed.

Until that once again becomes the norm for American parents, crime will continue to escalate. The police and judicial system cannot (and should not be expected to) replace good parenting.

It's a big and important job, so if you don't want to do it don't have children.

It's not society's job to raise your children and time to put the blame where it belongs.

Janet Lumm

Schaumburg