This last week, the youth group that I belong to in Red Deer went door to door, asking people to take a few moments and answer a few questions. Two of the questions were: 1) What can youth in this community do to improve their world? 2) Every day we hear about murders, child abuse, terrorism and other disasters. Why do you think that these things are happening in today’s society?

There were several answers that were interesting and provide a view into the opinions of those in our communities. Suggestions for how youth can improve their community included: promote equality and support freedom of choice, be more respectful of senior citizens, get more involved in the community, and be more productive.

Some of the answers to the question about why disasters are occurring in today’s society included: demographics (the population has increased and media has become more advanced in making information about such disasters available to the public), the perpetrators were abused during childhood, and people are “stupid” or “nuts.”

Using these answers of the people who took part in the survey, what do you think that you could do to improve your community? Could you be more active in promoting equality and freedom of choice? Could you take a few moments from your day to somehow honor or assist a senior citizen? How can you be more involved in your community? Is there any way that you could be more productive?