We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto

Russ and I have never considered ourselves "city people". It's hard to tell right now whether the havoc we read about and have exposure to is due mainly to living in this city, or just the general deterioration of society. We have been reading daily about inebriated people, gruesome murders, robberies, and general chaos. All too much of it occurs within a few miles of this house we're living in. I'm not afraid. I'm saddened and disgusted. It doesn't have to be this way. We went from living in a pleasant, albeit crowded, valley in Utah where our neighbors were caring and helpful to living where we don't even know any of our neighbors. Many of their yards are littered with garbage. People are suspicious of each other because of the fear of theft or harm by desperate drug addicts or gang members. We have been hoping to find peace in the unit of the church here as we have always found anywhere we have gone to church. There are many wonderful people here, but the little Dayton Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not isolated from the sorrows surrounding us. When we went to church Sunday we found out that out of 4 regular members of the fledgling Scout troop Russ has been desperately trying to get going, 2 were out of commission indefinitely. One that we had great hopes for (he has expressed a desire to be a neural surgeon and gets really high grades in school) is in junvenile detention. Another young man is in lock-up in the psych ward of the hospital for evaluation. Russ is having a "court of honor" tonight...........for one young man. I guess even God has said that the worth of souls is great- even one.