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Regardless of where or when a child is born, he or she is raised by the village. Whether a traditional village, an inner city block, or the most technologically advanced village connected by telephone, television and the worldwide web, the village has a vital part in shaping the next generation.

Traditionally, this statement expresses the sentiment that the cooperation and influence of other adults in the immediate community are necessary to raise a child properly. While parents remain the primary influence on their children, relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers and acquaintances, in fact everyone you can think of, contributes to raising children.

Unfortunately, this statement does not cover the fact that the village, or some members of it, may have no interest in raising your child well. When the village thinks of your child as a target demographic, with X number of dollars to spend, instead of someone they should take some pride in influencing, then the child is in trouble.

I grew up in village-type situations, a city block and surrounding streets until I was ten and then a suburban neighborhood. At that time, the fifties and early sixties, kids still spent a lot of time running up and down the block with a pack of other kids. We were up early and out late in the summer or if it wasn't a school night. We did walk the proverbial many miles to school but we also walked or took buses to movies, stores, libraries, etc. I went long distances with my friends, but sometimes I was alone, after dark, in the winter, catching a bus home after catechism class.

My parents told us about not taking candy from strangers in a vague way, but the assumption was, generally, other adults we encountered would look out for us. Also, we couldn't do anything we weren't supposed to without it getting back to our parents. Adults we didn't even know were always telling us to be quiet or stop horsing around and no fighting in here, you kids you! We were supposed to listen to older kids, too. There were usually a few older kids in every group, all the way up to teenagers who ran with us and looked out for all the younger kids not just their younger brothers and sisters. And if a teenager was the usher at a movie or a clerk at a store, we were in just as much trouble if we didn't listen to them because they were in charge and that was that.

Kids still play, even if it isn't the same way, hang out with their friends and go to school, but the village isn't trying to help raise them. Most people

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