Morality must be emphasized through the family: speaker By MELANIE CUMMINGS Special f0 The Champion Creating a non-violent society begins at home. According to Dr. Derrick Tapper, an Oakville pastor and father of two sons, "We live in a very screwy culture, where fact is becoming stranger than fiction and getting weirder by the minute." To prove his point to a handful of people gathered at Oakviile's Central Public Library to hear the Halton Family Services' 45th Annual Report recently, the minis- ter cited many news atonies of a civilization gone wrong. He focused on the tragedy at Columbine High School where two students opened fire on their clasa- mates, killing dozens and injuning more. "'Ne have but a culture without soul, without guilt shame and con- science," said Dr. Tapper. Criteria to follow Parents need to teach and demonstrate such qualities, and bwild better relationsbips with their children. He listed three criteria parents should follow: *Stop the double standard through whîch children are taught to do as their parents say and not as they do. e Start modeling values in which "We ilve in a very~ serewy culture, where fact is becoming stranger tien fiction and gettig wefrder by the. minute." OR. DOMRC IwPRn children are visibly aware of what is right and wrong. Dr. Tapper wants parents 10 eliminate their value-neutral mentality, which makes the difference between right and wrong difficult for children 10 determine. .Create heart in our children. "Violence is a disease of the soul as much as it is of the brain," said Dr. Tapper. As much as caring needs 10 be instilled among families, il also needs to be extended mbt our social interactions, hie sasd. Voilent crime is up Dr. Tapper's speech 10 the social service agency was rife with facts from much research mbt youth cul- ture. A 1993 Index of Leadîng Cultural Indicators, created by for- mer U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett, revealled that since 1960 violent crime is up 560 per cent, divorce han quadrupled, three times as many children are living in single parent families, and there has been more than a 200 per cent increase in teen suicide. Wrong moral choices Dr. Tapper also said that accord- ing to Harvard professors and authors of Inside the Criminal Mind, crime is not a resuit of the environment or poverty, but of wrong moral choices. Those choices, say the acade- mica, are determined by our moral conscience, which is shaped early in life and most profoundly hy the family. "'Nithout the lessons the family alone can teach, our commitmnent lu God and duty to fclluw man become alien concepts," Dr. Tapper added. Counsellusg required To that end, through Halton Family Services, a non-profit agency dedicated to providing pro- grams that enhance family life, 4,874 hours of counselling was provided in 1998-1999 to individu- ais, couples and families, and 3,335 hours of service was given 10 abused women, states the agency's annual report. The Canadien Champion, Friday, October 22, 1 M -i11 GET A FRESH START. Get SOLUTIONS now for: Credit Card Proberrs Major Cash Flow Problemrs Persistent Bill Cahlectors Delinqueit Taxes Ioss of Job or taved One Wage Gamissmenhs Lagmnt,1w Suits ForCI,.asur Repossssions Evkftioris Stuclent lacs Divorce Related Financicl Problms pq PADDON + Bankjwptry can be avoided. Callas! No chargefor imbrniidcmlfadon' , YQRKE INC. ff 225 Main Street Eat (Main & Martin St.) Milton A beiler soluhon' ADVERTISEMENT How to Buy a Home With Zero Down MILTON: A new home ownership program shlows qualified buyers lu buy a home with absolutely no downpayment. 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