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Show MY “HOMETOWN By Darren Vaughan One day in April as I sat at home watching TV, something happened in my hometown that lit a fire inside me that is still burning. My hometown is not Moab. WhileI do consider myself a "Moab Local", whatever that means, my "hometown" is actually Littleton, Colorado. Unless you've been living in a vacuum, you all know what happened there recently. I feel no need to sensationalize the sobering details. Given our rural isolation, what you may be and we have to learn to deal with today’s demons. We can toss around ideas about censorship, V chips, school uniforms, and gun control, but the one answer to the problem that keeps coming back to me, is really a fairly direct and simple idea. We have to become better parents. We have to become the overriding influence. We have to be the difference in their lives. Gone are the days when a simpler lifestyle gave parents the time to really do the job right. It used to be that Dad was the one who worked too much, who worked too long, who enjoyed "quality time” on the weekends. Now Mom has joined the rat race too. Parents in Jefferson County and watched his younger brother graduate in the gymnasium at the now work too hard in an effort to make sure that they are keeping up with the Jonses. They infamous Columbine High School, this tragedy not only brought my attention racing back even need public service commercials to remind them to "Have dinner as a family at least to my big city "hometown" but focused my thoughts most intensely on our local community once a week". Unbelievable. and on my own two children sitting "safely" in Grand County classrooms. Watching as it As busy as we have become, we have to do a better job of parenting. Talk to your kids. played out on CNN, I heard countless times hushed voices from tearstained young faces, Ask them about their day. Comfort them on their bad days. Ask them about their friends. uttering words my own mind was then contemplating: “If it can happen at Columbine it Meet their friends’ parents. Watch the movies they can happen anywhere.” watch. Listen to the music they listen to. Look over How does it happen? Why do they do it? How My hometown is not Moab. While I consider myself a "Moab Local.” their shoulder as they surf the Internet or play video can we stop it? Our world has become a very games. Limit the time they spend plugged in to the my hometown is actually Littleton, Colorado. Unless you live in a complicated place. A single answer doesn’t come "virtual world". Encourage them to interact with real easily. Is it violence on TV ? Violence in movies? vacuum, you all know what happened there recently. people in real situations. Visit your child’s school. Violence in video games? Access to ? The How does it happen? Why do they do it? How can we stop iva My own children will both be in High School next internet ? The answer to each of these questions it year. When they were in elementary school and I would seem must be YES. asking yourselves is "How does this big city tragedy fit inside my small town nutshell ?” I can only tell you that as a person who knows the Littleton community, who was schooled When I was a kid, we had no VCR, no Cable TV, no internet, no video games, none of the slick gizmos our kids have today. When I watched TV we had only 4 channels. On Sundays I watched "Wild Kingdom" while I anxiously awaited "The Wonderful World of Disney". Marlin Perkins and Mickey Mouse...does it get any more wholesome? The most violent thing I was likely to see on TV was The Skipper smacking Gilligan on the head whenever he got the urge, or Bugs Bunny terrorizing poor Elmer Fudd whenever he got the chance. The only time I ever saw an R rated movie was if I went to the theater and then only if my parents were with me. I played outside. I had friends all over the neighborhood. We rode bikes, played in the creek, played football. Most went to Parent Teacher Conferences, the halls were filled with interested and concerned parents. Now the children have grown older. The hallways echo with disinterest. I still see some parents; Russ & Mary, Tom & Suzy, a few more. It’s not all about pass or fail, A’s or F’s. Even when they are getting good grades you need to take time out of your busy day and become more involved. Meet the teachers. Ask the questions. You never know what you may learn about your kids. The other day I was on the phone speaking to a customer of mine. I asked her during our conversation where she was calling from. After a brief but awkward pause, she said "Littleton, Colorado". I never mentioned Columbine. I never mentioned her awkwardness. resolve them. We didn’t murder each other. Today our kids are bombarded by our own adult world excesses. Every day images and We both knew without saying why she was hesitant. Our little desert town is a wonderful place, out in the boonies, away from the crowd. Our children are our living legacy. Who they become will reflect upon us, our society and our community. As a busy parent in a two income family I feel I’m doing a good job . I know I can do better. When it is all said and information are beamed into our homes from sources unimagined in our youth. We have 30 plus channels of cable TV, some good, some bad, and some just plain impossible to watch done I hope that my son or daughter will never hesitate, never feel awkward, never feel shame when they declare proudly that their hometown is Moab, Utah. in the presence of a child. If it’s not on cable you can rent it, get it off the satellite dish or play the video game version. You can surf the net, chat online, download, upload and email, Darren Vaughan is an owner of Tex's Riverways. He lives in Moab with his wife and two children. importantly we played together. We were social. We interacted. We didn’t play in virtual reality. Our actions always had real consequences. We had our conflicts and learned to anything and everything, all with the click of a mouse. It’s fast. It’s here. It’s now. As adults we know what we’re doing. It makes sense to us. We're in control. We have the answers. Our kids don’t have a clue. While we go about our busy lives we leave our children to our electronic baby-sitters who nourish them on a steady diet of graphic, unfiltered, eS aaa ct ae ie RE the phone number. to PANT... e j|MON PANTS. {UDIide But we do have ANTS for your PANTS. Native & Water-wise Plants Cacti, Succulents 6 Agaves Consulting/Site Design 2971 S. 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