At the end of the day, and when it’s all said and done, this city will rise and fall on the strength of it’s pre-teens and it’s twenty-somethings. We continue to witness brawls and fights among large numbers of teens. We cringe every time a young person has a news camera in their face, because we know that whatever comes out of their mouths will be crude and inarticulate. We’re surprised when a young person speaks intelligently, when this is what we should expect every time. I love them, but we have to tell the truth. Our children are ill prepared to deal with civic issues, national debates, or global concerns. So are many of their parents. It’s a real problem for this municipality, and foretells great misery for a large part of their lives. Politics cannot overcome generational ignorance, and we can’t legislate morality.

Whether it’s the highly favored A C Wharton Jr., or one of the other twenty potential candidates, that person simply MUST address the issues facing younger Memphians. I don’t think much of our new political class, and they continue to demonstrate their greed, their lust for power, and their shallow pool of creative ideas when we need it most. Most of the people running for public office in this town are still living in the past, when the “Ford political machine” dominated local elections. The blessing of the powerful Congressman meant sure victory for the cronies who were willing to kiss his ring, and anything else he wanted kissed. Congressman Ford Sr. accomplished a lot for his constituents during his tenure, but that was the 1980’s and early 1990’s. The game changed, and there have not been any advocates for youth who have been able to get a foothold in city politics. Most of the elected officials today have been unopposed for years, and most of us can’t even name our city councilperson, or our state representative.

Dr. Kriner Cash generously uses code words and euphemisms to underline and describe a largely poor, illiterate and downtrodden local population. He says Memphis children have “challenges”… That’s an understatement. Our children can’t read on the levels that will lead to good jobs, they don’t know their multiplication tables by heart, and most of them could not possibly write a perfect paragraph if their lives depended on it. Soul Classics 103.5 is making a sincere effort to stop the young men from showing their underwear in public with “Belts for Boys”, and this newspaper, the Tri-State Defender, has been on the forefront of youth literacy consistently for the past year. But it is the parents who must be advocates, and the churches that must provide facilities, and the politicians who must bring all resources to bear in our quest to make these children “more literate, and more considerate”.

No one of substance or position has truly advocated for these babies in nearly thirty years. The City Council acted like spoiled children themselves when they cut the school system budget by millions of dollars last year, and the previous mayor recommended closing libraries and community centers. There are municipal issues that are important, including consolidation of city and county services, property taxes, and bond ratings. But if the young population of Memphis continues to deteriorate, and becomes less literate every day, then no amount of political theater will matter. We don’t even have a decent theme park for our children to play in. Let’s use the Pyramid for that.

Wealthy Memphians may care about the plight of children in Memphis, but only up to a point.  Mentors could do more, and every parent could do more. I could do more, and so could you. But the next Mayor will have to “set the tone” for any real improvement in the day-to-day lives, and future prospects for young Memphians. We need true advocates, not just mediocre politicians whose egos have commanded them to run for office. Local politicians (and lousy parents) are the main reason we are in this mess with our children, and it will be the advocates and parents of young people, who will help to get us out of it. Nothing less will do, and time is running out. Who’s it gonna’ be?

(Tony Nichelson is founder of the 110 Institute and public affairs director for the Citadel-Memphis Radio Group.)