December
10, 2012
Empowering
Youth in a Culture of Distractions
by
Barbara Pope
 On Saturday, November 24th,
Tammy Plunkett, a former nurse and mother of four, spoke at the Ottawa
Baha’i Centre on the challenges youth face growing up in society today.
“Family and teachers no longer have the influence they used to; peers
and media are creating a standard of conduct that influences the
choices youth are making,” she began. Youth consume an average of 10
and a half hours of media a day where alcohol, drug use, and sexual
activity is normalized. Tammy believes the consequences can be
devastating; witnessing changes in her eldest daughter led her to speak
out.
When Tammy describes her daughter, her voice perks up, “She is a
beautiful, vivacious girl; she lights up any room.” That was until her
daughter began getting into trouble.
Tammy challenged parents to think about the environment in which their
children are being raised acknowledging she’s had to do the same, “I
had to begin holding myself to a higher standard. My ego had to get out
of the way.” Quoting a Baha’i writing, she expressed, “The
materialistic civilization of our age has so much absorbed the energy
and interest of mankind that people in general do no longer feel the
necessity of raising themselves above the forces and conditions of
their daily material existence.”
 She is grateful for social
service support but explained, “… help from the system means getting a
psychological explanation not a spiritual one … We have to educate our
children, lead by example, and establish a culture that reflects the
standard of conduct set forth by Baha’u’llah,” including the Baha’i
principle of the independent investigation of truth. To this end, Tammy
has enrolled in a Baha’i study circle offered to anyone wishing to
assist youth in taking ownership of their moral development, shaping
spiritual perception, and empowering healthy thoughts and actions.
In the meantime, Tammy continues to have hope: “I’m here for her when
she’s ready. I love my daughter unconditionally and I’m here for her.”
[Tammy Plunkett is the author of an upcoming book, Being Human, about
balancing our innate drives with our higher selves]
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