I have referenced what is happening in the communities along the Virginia/North Carolina border. This week, the director of the local Social Services Department provided some graphics that rattled my complacency. I hope they will touch yours as well.
Here are some of the highlights:
135 child abuse referrals
365 juvenile intakes
213 juvenile substance abuse arrests
10.5% of all adults have a college degree
Per capita income $18,500 (compared to a state average of $33,040)
Non-marital births 77.2%
Percentage living in poverty 21.7%
Child poverty rate 28.6%
Births without prenatal care 35.2%
Adults who completed high school 71.8% (Source: Independent Messenger 3/5/2014, pp. 1-2)
This is a common statistic all across the South, but it may help explain some of my concerns as I look into the future and some of the political things for which I see a necessity. Context says a lot.