A great message from our Executive Director.
Cast Your Ballot -- for More Honesty The extreme rhetoric of contentious political campaigns brings to mind the impact that deception has on politics and on our daily social discourse.?We are all too comfortable with a lack of transparency in our communications, and we are paralyzed by intentional misrepresentation of truth. What needs to be considered is the subtle, but significant, impact of dishonesty on child development. It corrodes the well-being of young people by undermining trust - an essential pillar that raises self-confidence and serves as the foundation for learning and personal growth. Accusations of lying and criminal activity against high profile individuals in government, entertainment, sports, and in their communities invade the screens and devices held by young people on a daily basis. Sadly, the reaction of many adults is a kind of semi-comic resignation about rampant dishonest behavior, an all-too-common shoulder shrugging that indicates in so many words, or none at all, that “Well, come on, we know that’s the way it is. Who really tells the truth?” What does this tell children? What are we teaching them here? Because children mirror behavior, it’s critical that the adults they interact with every day present strong moral leadership through their own behavior and statements. Young people learn from what we do much more than from what we say.?Telling a child to be honest and kind to others has no effect if they are seeing us avoid the truth and degrade our neighbors. Starting with a child’s first years of school, honesty along with sharing, empathy and kindness are the foundational behaviors that must be taught by example to create the conditions for emotional well-being, social satisfaction and academic progress. Let’s remind ourselves that as we fulfill our civic duty by casting our ballots, that choosing to model honesty and principle in our lives is just as important to civil society as our vote. Young people will only believe that honesty is the best policy when we all commit to living truthfully.