If you care about the kids, DON'T READ THIS!!!

This is a venting session! Pay no attention to the typo’s and/or grammatical errors. Please pay attention to the message.
Today I was saddened to find out that I will no longer be a mentor through the M.O.S.T.S. (Mentoring One Student To Succeed) program that is in place at a couple of elementary schools in the Saginaw school district. After running a background check (everyone who knows me knows I have nothing to hide) they determined that since I have a felony, I can’t mentor in the schools. I do have some serious charges (drugs and guns from March 2008) but nothing that I feel will have an effect on me mentoring a child. Our children, especially the young males, are in need of some very positive role models in their lives. In a time where CHILDREN, GIRLS, and INOCCENT bystanders are being gunned down, where youth are being sent to prisons in alarming numbers, there is no time better than now to start taking an interest in our younger generation’s lives.
The funny part is that I was one of only a few MEN mentors. The school that I mentored at asked me to find more MALE mentors because they were lacking positive MALE role models.
The sad part about it is is, I have been mentoring this one little guy for about a month and I am going to really miss him and his tales about the Ferrari he drives to school everyday. The Ferrari that seemed to be a different color every week. The same Ferrari that was mysteriously stolen last week when he was supposed to let me drive it.
Tuesday was my last day and since my little friend was sick, he did not come to my session that day. Next week he will be bright eyed and smiling as usual as he comes in looking for me and to his dissapointment I will not be there. Wow! I did not even get a chance to say “good-bye!” I remember him telling me how his Dad moved away and never told him “good-bye” either. I remember telling him that I will be there every Tuesday and one day I will even be able to come to some of his basketball games. Now I am just another broken promise to this liitle guy.
Sometimes I wonder who the directors of these so called “mentor” programs are? Are they doing it to look good. Can they even relate to these kids themselves? “Mentor” and “mentor programs” seem to be VERY popular lately. I would hate to think that there are people out here that are establishing these programs, that look good on paper, for the MONEY.
I understand that the we need to protect our children at all costs and be careful of the company we allow around them, but damn, is it necessary to cut off the arm for something the finger did?
Just my opinion,
Bobjohnson.