The prime directive should be, “Thou shalt not abuse or neglect thy children, nor saddle them with hopeless debt.”

When elected president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela said, “We will measure our success by the well being and happiness of our children.”

Compare this ideal with our own troubled youth, many of whom lack intact families. Good character primarily comes from nurturing care and the selective guidance from role model parents.

Since World War II, women in increasing numbers have entered the workforce. Then it was an necessity to replace men; now it is for personal gain as women compete with men for jobs.

Automation and technology, however, have made a large labor force increasingly obsolete, resulting in a flooded workforce with a shrinking jobs base.

The current recession also corresponds with vanishing family ties. A major factor has been mothers in the workforce with underage children — the working mother.

To restore a growing economy, money interests must take second place to necessary basic reforms:

* Mothers with underage children must be restricted from holding jobs. This would better assure kids their natural right to good health of body and mind. The regulation also would make available jobs for men and women without dependent kids now seeking work.

* Regulations must eliminate the use of chemicals by agribusiness. Benefits will include better general health, relief to the environment, more jobs available in rural towns and countryside, a much-needed shift of population from overcrowded cities. Drug abuse will abate as they are linked to chemical residues in the food chain.

To restore health to both family and economy, women must be given recognition for the work they do as homemakers. Theirs is the natural right to support and care. There has to be a balance.

Russell Vesecky

Harmony