Kids Take On Crime, Violence, With a No Nonsense Moral Code
Torn by gang violence and guns, innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire and stories of police brutality, Inglewood is not unlike the battle ground of any inner city in the U.S. But what sets this one apart from others under siege is a new hope for a future made brighter by children who are proving that a great tomorrow begins when young people set a good example.
(PRWEB) November 15, 2004 -- Exemplary youth were the focus of a Concerned Businessmen's Association of America (CBAA) awards ceremony held at he Hollywood Casino Pavillion and Entertainment Center in Inglewood. And joining CBAA and Campaign Chairman Richard Palmquist, was Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt F. Dorn, actress Nancy Cartwright (voice of television's Bart Simpson) and more than 200 children, parents, judges and well wishers for the city's first, "Set A Good Example" Contest Awards Ceremony. It was the first such event in California and the latest in a growing nationwide movement that proudly boasts reduced crime rates where ever the contest is implemented locally.
This simple contest is based on the book "The Way To Happiness," a nonreligious moral code written by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard. In it are 21 precepts that children and adults alike can use to lead happier and more productive lives.
One key precept, "Set A Good Example," is the mainstay of CBAA's campaign in Inglewood and other American cities. Contestants ranging in ages from 5 to 17, each report by essay the actions they take to set good examples for their peers. And as a result, even the most strife riddled neigheborhoods begin to see changes for the better.
That story has been repeated time and again in many other cities across the country, regardless of culture, creed or even economic status of the children participating. In Harlingen, Texas, for example, broad distribution of the "The Way To Happiness" throughout the community was date coincident with statistics for the number of violent crimes plummeting to zero.
"People think it's up to police to stop crime, but police engage criminal suspects only after the crime has been committed. The real answer is to address the problem at its roots by helping young people and adults learn to recognize and respect the importance of others --and thereby respect themselves," says Douglas Williams, Public Affairs Ambassador, CBAA, Los Angeles, California.
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