An Editorial by Donna Motta
School will soon be out for the summer.
What exactly does that mean for Fall River’s teenagers? Where can they go? What can they do?
One of the biggest problems the city faces is a well publicized opioid addiction problem, and a negative connotation in reference to what many consider a downtrodden, backwards city. Well, if this is the message our young people are hearing every day, then what will they gravitate towards? Naturally, the answer is using illegal substances, and not believing there is anything constructive they can to do in a supposedly deteriorating city during their summer break…and as a result, the cycle of addiction problems, and negative thinking about Fall River continues generation after generation after…well, you get the point.
Is this really what the city wants?
The Correia administration and our state legislators are doing all they can to stop the opioid crisis in Massachusetts, which of course, includes Fall River, but nobody but the residents here can reverse negative thinking about how they perceive the city.
Here’s a suggestion. Let the negative thinking go, and focus on the good the city has to offer, which in turn will help our young people understand that they can make a difference to move Fall River forward. This kind of positive turn around in perception will help teenagers stay away from experimenting with illegal substances, and give them the power to know they can make a difference as the city moves forward.
This coming summer, our teenagers can be encouraged to work part-time jobs in an effort to learn solid customer service and communication skills. They can volunteer at soup kitchens to learn compassion and help those less fortunate then themselves. They can take time to read books to younger siblings; get exercise by utilizing city parks, bike and walking paths. They can attend city cleanup efforts that are organized by the administration and non-profit organizations. They can take part in charity events, like participating in 5K races to raise money for good causes (There were already two such races held at the Industrial Park recently.) They can attend movie nights sponsored by neighborhood associations; maybe even stop by senior citizen centers to hear stories about what life was like in the city years ago, and in so doing will help the older generation feel their lives have made a difference.
As the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.
Now there is a new saying: It takes a city to raise healthy, productive children into proactive and confident teenagers.
Are you up for that challenge?
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