The real culprit? Lost moral foundation in our society

“FIREARMS, DRUGS are the main triggers for city’s homicides,” July 14 Journal.

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino displays his naiveté openly in this article.

He is right that people are concerned about the rise in violent crimes in Albuquerque (and) in the USA. It is easy to link the problem to drugs, a problem he and law enforcement have done little to solve. But, he misses the documentable facts that point to a much more serious and fixable solution, that is the breakdown of the traditional family over the last 50 years. Now, he and many Democrats, who have been leading our state for 90 years, will scream terms like racist, white supremacist, homophobe to make those like me the oppressors, but it is hard to look at the facts about the breakdown of the traditional family and turn a blind eye.

Single-parent families have children who are taught less boundaries (and) have increased dropout rates, higher teenage pregnancies, poorer education and thus job opportunities, higher drug and alcohol addictions and higher gang membership and crime and violence and suicide rates . ... We have lost what was a foundation for teaching morality and boundaries ... all civilizations have needed in order to grow and all that have lost that foundation have failed, and failed miserably. Germany, Russia and China are just a few examples.

We should be doing everything we can to address the family. The government can try to buy people or try to fix the problems with “free” money, added bonuses to get a job and off welfare, extra child support money for each child, forgiving all student debt, “free safe doses of heroin or the equivalent” — and none of these will teach responsibility or a work ethic that has made this country unique among all other. None will teach respect for all people, opportunity for all, None will teach our children the truth.

Isn’t it time we really address the problems?

Isn’t it time for real solutions and real change?

DR. TAYLOR FLOYD Albuquerque