I was watching Biggest Loser, season 15 episode 5. Bingo and his mom were on.
Bingo was a contestant on season 14 as one of three youths learning healthy choices and making positive lifestyle changes. The focus of that season was childhood obesity. Bingo is an eighth-grader who, along with his family, has changed his habits and the entire family has benefited from it. They have all lost weight, are eating healthy and have become more active. It has brought them closer as a family. That usually equates to communication.
Bingo and his mom came back to coach this season’s participants who are parents with children who are obese. Bingo said, “The most important thing is to get all the junk food out of the house. You don’t have any temptations around you because if it’s not there, you can’t eat it.”
Bingo’s mom Michelle said, “It does start with us parents and we really have to be examples for our kids.”
While the Biggest Loser is about the battle of obesity, I heard someone voice almost these very same words at a hearing about the marijuana moratorium in Bonney Lake.
Some cavalierly say “it’s legal now. What’s the problem?” Alcohol has been legal in this state for years. Look at the problems it causes. That argument doesn’t hold with me. Like food, both drugs and alcohol can be abused also.
Perhaps if liquor stores remained open rather than retail stores now selling all types of liquor, fewer of our youth would grab and go with that gallon of hard liquor. The state run liquor store was much more secure for those higher octane beverages. Perhaps if the stores worked even harder at loss prevention, we customers may not have needed to fear the recent grocery strike. Store employees may not be in a position to be threatened with weapons by thieves loading carts with alcohol, who then run out of the store and resell it for 100 percent profit. According to Sunday’s Wall Street Journal, shoplifting is a $13 billion-a-year problem. The result? Goods are often priced higher to cover the shortfall and U. S. households pay an additional $300 on average to make up for shoplifting losses. That $13 billion could pay a lot of retail workers’ salaries and benefits. When I was on the council, my pet peeve was the amount of wine and beer stolen in these dashes due to liquor displayed just inside the door. It is exacerbated with the hard liquor sales in the stores now. Who pays? We do, and in more ways than one!
Did you see in the news the sentencing of Mark Mullan to 18 years in prison? In March of this year, he mowed down the Schulte family while the grandparents, their daughter-in-law and 10 day old grandson were crossing the street in a Seattle neighborhood midday. The grandparents were killed instantly by the impaired driver. Mother is now in a wheelchair, having suffered a broken pelvis and head injury, and her injuries caused a stroke that has limited her speech. Elias, now eight months old, sustained skull fractures. Why?
Mullan, a 51-year-old journeyman electrician with five prior drunken driving arrests, had a blood alcohol content about three times the legal limit when he hit the family. At the time of the crash, he was on probation from a recent case, his license was suspended, and he was supposed to have installed an ignition interlock device in his truck.
Those who spoke at the Nov. 12 Bonney Lake hearing suggested the same thing Bingo and Michelle did. Lead by example. Don’t just have the talk about the dangers of drugs and alcohol once; bring it up over and over and be age appropriate. Communication. Remove the temptation. Reward our youth who make healthy choices.
Which youth are making healthy choices in our community? Daffodil Princesses, who are the ambassadors of our community. Those who participate in youth sports, whether through the school district, parks and recreation leagues, after school or select, whether they letter or not or go to state or not. And those who cheer them on. The dance team. The kids in the marching band who just had a stellar year. Those who put in so much time and effort to put together an entry to the science fair. And the robotics club. Or those who take their landscape projects, pets or livestock to the fair and win ribbons (or not). The award-winning culinary arts students, who sure know how to put on a feast. All our students who stay in school and graduate. And those who graduate with honors. Those who hold positions in student government. Key Club, Humanitarian Club and International Club. Anyone who helps with Special Olympics. Those artists who are drama students, musically talented, the annual staff. Josiah Hokanson who had a front page editorial called “Use the gifts you’ve been given”. Those who hold down a job and go to school. Drivers who obey the laws and drive responsibly. I could go on and on. Our youth are our future.
At this past council workshop there was discussion of the hearing and the moratorium. I heard this from the majority of our city leaders:
“Bonney Lake does not need to be the place to go get your marijuana.”
“Can’t we just say thank you but no thank you (to the Liquor Control Board issuing a license)?”
“… stone cold strong against this.”
“I am glad to see us as a council going forward to help stop this in our community. Our schools are pushing so hard to show the students and young adults how important it is not to have marijuana and not be drinking and glad we are supporting that philosophy.”
“White River School District is in sync with Sumner School District for all the same reasons.”
“Keeping it out of Bonney Lake is the right way to go.”
There is a billboard I pass on my way to work. It shows the picture of a man, sitting alone, forlorn on his couch. Next to him is the ghost image of his wife and child. The caption reads, “Recover what addiction has taken away.” The billboard is for a recovery center.
Let’s not lose our youth in the first place. City leaders, please continue the moratorium on marijuana as long as necessary to find a suitable resolution. And everyone, please don’t drive buzzed. But mostly, be thankful for those parents who have taught their children well and the youth who are making good choices. Thank you to our school districts with their teachers, counselors and coaches, who help direct our youth in the right direction. It takes a village.
http://www.king5.com/news/crime/Mark-Mullan-vehicular-homicide-sentencing-232051681.html
http://www.blscourierherald.com/opinion/231481691.html
http://www.citybonneylake.org/UserFiles/File/Government_Downloads/City_Council/Agendas/2013/2013-11-19%20CWP.pdf Hearing testimony
Workshop 11/19/13 about 1:07
http://www.citybonneylake.org/section_government/city_council/council_action/minutes_2013.shtml
