I think this is great!  It brought tears to my eyes to know that these three young people will now have a loving home.  I believe in adoption.  I have to admit that I get angry when I see celebrities going overseas and adopting children, when there are so many right here in the United States that need homes. 

Also, couples that are unable to have children could look to adoption instead of spending lots of money on invitro-fertilization and other medical advances that offer the potential of a successful pregnancy.  Perhaps they could find it in their hearts to love a child that will not be created by them.  I think it’s possible and this article shows just how rewarding it is.

I hope this article will show other families that, not only is adoption a terrific opportunity if you are unable to have children of your own, but also that family doesn’t have to be blood lineage, just a committment to the other person for life that you will love them.

According to the article, “The median earnings of full-time workers with bachelor’s degrees was nearly $47,000 in 2007, according to the Census Bureau.  The median for someone who had attended college but failed to get a four-year degree was nearly $33,000, and the median for a high-school graduate was nearly $27,000.”

My take on these numbers is that statistically they may be correct and apply to the below average to average individual.  I look around this world and many of the wealthiest individuals fall in the $33,000 dollar a year range because they didn’t finish college; yet they are mult-millionaires and some billionaires! 

Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Sean Combs, Tyler Perry and so many others have shown us that if you are passionate about something then the sky is the limit.  You create your own boundaries in life. 

Now if you don’t have the drive and determination, then I think college is a necessary requirement because it allows you to live a comfortable life.  It will keep you in the middle class and you will enjoy many of life’s pleasures/dreams…homeownership, nice vacations, cars, etc.  I also think the school you go to will impact how fast you acquire these pleasures.  Not because of the intelligence of the individual but the distinction of the school. 

As someone who is looking toward a career in broadcast journalism, I look to my peers and many of them don’t have college degrees.  In fact, at least one was a high school drop-out!  That’s right, Peter Jennings was a high school drop-out; but he proves my point.  He was passionate about what he was doing, and he honed in on his natural abilities.  According to the article, he should have made approximately $33,000 per year; yet this man was a national news anchor.  Amazing!  He worked hard to get there, but he made it. 

 I think college is important.  I am for goodness sake a college student, but I think that a persons drive truly determines their earning power.  I want to be on the Forbes list of highest paid entertainers, next to Oprah and Ellen.  More importantly, I am willing to work my but off to get there.

According to the article, “In 2007, nearly a third of students ages 12 to 18 reported having been bullied during the school year, according to data on more than 55 million students compiled annually by the National Center for Education Statistics.”  

Although the number is alarming, I have to ask myself if this is something new.  Bullies have been around since the days of my parents and beyond.  My mother would share stories of her high school nightmare and yes; I had a bully also. 

My No. 1 concern is for the safety of the child, of course; but I have to have pause for all the anti-bullying laws that are in affect in our schools.  These types of antics are a part of the natural order of youth.  Some get teased and picked on for whatever reason. 

When I was going through my experience, I would always say to myself; what did I do to deserve this?  The answer is and will always be NOTHING!  What was different it seems is how children are responding to bullies.  Suicide?  I think that is a little over the top. 

We all know the old-saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me” is a blatant lie.  My concern is simple: are we taking away the power of children to learn how to resolve their own problems by creating legislation around this issue?  Shouldn’t we be using this as a learning lesson not just for the bullied, but also, the bully.  I mean, come on, there are obviously issues there. 

I was always told to defend myself, win or lose.  I could never start a fight, but I was always allowed to defend myself.  Why aren’t more parents telling their kids to pick up a stick and beat the bully’s ass?  What about all the bullied kids coming together and beating the bully’s ass!  There is always strength in numbers. 

I look back at the girl who tortured me my whole 9th grade year, before she was expelled, and I feel sorry for her.  A bigger point is that because I dealt with her and knew that I had the support of my parents, I am now able to deal with bullies in my everyday life because let’s face it…Bullies are a part of our adult life.  They work with us, attend movies and sit behind or in front of us, etc. 

Some skills I think are important for young people to learn.  With that said, my heart goes out to the family of any child that committed suicide because of a bully.  The question remains, Is there a better way of handling it?