Todd Tiahrt: “today America is enjoying a great economic time. We are setting record after record on the New York Stock Exchange. This…”

“today America is enjoying a great economic time. We are setting record after record on the New York Stock Exchange. This is a reflection of the confidence that the average investor has in the market. Likewise, many retailers are enjoying a prosperous year because consumer confidence has increased and we Americans are buying more. Unemployment is at the lowest level in 20 years. Things just look good on the outside, but on the inside America has a crisis of the soul. The statistics are staggering. Drug abuse is increasing, especially for younger Americans, making our society more dangerous, more susceptible to robbery, car jacking and gang-related crimes. Child abuse has increased, as broken homes try to mend themselves with new relationships; and, too often, it is a stepparent that is the initiator of the abuse. Children are so vulnerable to an adult, and far too often the one parent fails to protect the children from another. Spouse abuse has increased. Often women who are physically unable to defend themselves are the victims. Divorce rates are also a high percentage of marriages. Many people choose not to honor the commitments they made on their wedding day; and, too often, it is the children that suffer. Often quietly, they suffer through retreating into their rooms filled with the darkness of insecurity. Yes, Mr. Speaker, America is experiencing a crisis of the soul.”