"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo comic strip

We here at The News aren't Pollyannas, yet we keep hoping that every day, normal Americans will get fed up with the screwed up world around them and step up and take control of their communities.

Whether it's the vociferous national debate over more intense gun control measures or our own nasty debate locally about safety and discipline at Alcovy High School, we feel many people are missing the real culprit behind our issues. As the great philosopher Pogo aptly stated many years ago, the enemy is us.

Alcovy High School has garnered a reputation for being the most out-of-control high school in Newton County and last week's brawl at a junior varsity basketball game doesn't help. However, this time, it was the parents of the players who rushed out of the stands to scuffle on the court, nearly causing a riot.

Seriously? The parents jumped out of the stands to start a fight because their children were getting into it on the court?

Many anonymous commenters have placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the administration, but the mockery that took place at last Saturday's game shows the problem is more deeply rooted than a few school officials.

How are administrators and teachers expected to keep control of a classroom or hallway full of students when some of those students' role models are parents who'd rather break rules and the law instead of keeping calm and following proper procedure?

We firmly believe that the majority of parents who send their children to Alcovy High School are hard-working, caring people who are trying to raise their children the right way. However, they need to begin getting more involved and not letting a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch. Teach your children how to deal with bullies, call out your fellow parents, get more involved in school and work with the administration and school board to offer and find solutions.

Children take after their parents. We need more parents who are developing their children to be leaders of their peers and fewer bystanders, who allow wrong to happen right in front of them.

Too often, the vocal few are the ones who run roughshod over the majority and dictate public perception. For the sake of your own student, your community and the greater good, we ask those parents and other concerned citizens in the Alcovy High School area to become active and vocal.