Thanks for your thoughtful and thought-provoking essay, “Standing My Ground” (August 2013). Your circumstance would, in itself, be disconcerting and upsetting, and, coupled with the Zimmerman case, certainly raises lots of questions for us all. — Lisa Wersal, Vadnais Heights, MN
Thank you for the short story. It never occurred to me to pray for a young thief. It seemed so clear that this would be the right move to help a soul in distress. Our young people are affected by our economic depression. Parents both must work full-time, and it leaves our younger generation to be on their own.
Addiction has become an acceptable diagnosis for many American families. Absent guidance for teens, at a turning point in their life cycle, leaves many working families open to the disease. I know how to pray for intervention, or refer families to programs that can provide the treatment necessary to combat the disease.
Some say it takes a village to raise a child. I am starting to come to this understanding as truth. When we grew up, parents gave their children permission for local playing, and then they were expected to come home and clean up for supper. After supper, books were spread across the dinner table and children completed their homework. In our society today, too many children are alone and have to make unguided choices on their own.
This has led me to believe that I must now pray for all American families — to ask my Higher Powers for enlightenment, and a spiritual intervention. We all need to gather in prayer, and have faith that things will change for the better. Pray that children are no longer left on their own.
Thank you for your article. You have helped to change my thinking, from depression to hope. — Lynn Cormier, Staten Island, New York
