Our Future Lies In Improving the Education and Civility of Our Kids

There in no denying that the lion's share of responsibility for childhood development falls upon parents, but schools and the police must also contribute to helping build character and civility.

As for the schools the most recent data reported by the international educational testing organization Program For International Student Assessment (PISA) indicated that the U.S. ranked 13th in college graduation rates out of 34 countries surveyed. Only eight countries had lower high school graduation rates and equally disapointing, U.S. students had mediocre scores on the core subjects of reading, science and math.

To my way of thinking quality early education, which should include classroom discipline, will bring about better student performance in academics and civility.

As for the police, one important way they can help to ensure that student study efforts are not derailed by incivility is to take seriously the act of bullying. When a case of bullying is reported to the police they should ascertain if the attack focused on  a particular Race, Ethnicity, Religion, Gender, Sexual Orientation or Physical/Mental disability. In any such case "Hate Crime" should be considered. While violent crimes can be tragic, Hate Crimes are unique and can cause lasting suffering.