I don’t know much, if anything, about the guy who did the shoot out in Arizona but, some time ago I heard Glen Beck say what we need is better parenting, and I linked the two.
Many years ago I came accross the poem below. Again, I do not know anything about the author, but I like what he said. I’ll paraphrase it: “Be the person you want your child to become.”*
WALK A LITTLE PLAINER, DADDY
SAID A LITTLE BOY ONE DAY
I’M FOLLOWING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS
AND I WANT TO KNOW THE WAY.
SOMETIMES YOUR STEPS ARE VERY PLAIN
AND SOMETIMES HARD TO SEE.
SO WALK A LITTLE PLAINER, DADDY
FOR YOU ARE LEADING ME.
I KNOW THAT ONCE YOU WALKED
THIS WAY, MANY YEARS AGO,
AND WHAT YOU DID ALONG THE WAY
I’D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW.
FOR SOMETIMES I AM TEMPTED
AND DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO
SO WALK A LITTLE PLAINER, DADDY,
FOR I MUST FOLLOW YOU
SOMETIME WHEN I AM ALL GROWN UP
YOU ARE LIKE I WANT TO BE
THEN I WILL KNOW A LITTLE BOY,
WHO WILL WANT TO FOLLOW ME.
AND I WOULD WANT TO LEAD HIM RIGHT,
AND HELP HIM TO BE TRUE.
SO WALK A LITTLE PLAINER, DADDY
FOR WE MUST FOLLOW YOU
Written by Forrest Flowers
*Messengers in Denim, pg 63.