Kicking myself for pointing fingers, I am recalling a rap presentation recorded and presented before Asheville City Council. A few kids wanted to promote recycling, so they performed a rap. Sweet little girls were emulating the gangsta-tough speech and belly thrusts of today’s teen idols. In school, kids learn of diversity and anger management, and have counselors to help them cope with broken homes and violent neighborhoods.
It therefore feels like stepping into a time warp to read that the National League of Junior Cotillions will be setting up a chapter in Watauga County to teach etiquette, character, courtesies, honor, respect, ethics, sportsmanship, and tons of other nice things that went out of style around the time of the Civil War. They also teach formal dance.
If you or somebody you know would like to have a child grow up to be pleasant and helpful – rather than pierced and moping around the mall in black clothing studded with symbols of death, you can follow the leads from the article in the Mountain Times.