This is a Downer.... in Muddling Through As Best I Can

I know the tone of this post is not very positive, but it’s what’s on my mind tonight, so here goes;
This morning I got the news that one of Bradley and Brian’s young friends has passed away. His mother found him unconcious two days ago from a heroin overdose, and he had been on life support until last night, when the family made the decision to take him off of it.
I have known Carl’s family for almost 30 years, and I am devastated for them, but this question haunts me tonight;
What drives our children to do these things?
In the social circle of my sons, (Brian is 20, Brad would have been 22 next week) there have neen seven deaths in the last couple of years in their peer group. Three suicides, and the rest involved drugs or alcohol.
Aaron’s father found him hanging from a tree in the back yard. Aaron was 13 years old.
Jack shot himself in the head with a handgun. He was 19.
Stacy also shot herself. She was 17.
Brad, Mark, Erin and Lisa were all killed in alocohol related accidents. In some cases they were drinking, in others as with Bradley, it was the other driver.
These “statistics” haunt me tonight. I knew all of these children to one degree or another. I have known Carl his entire life; his mother for over 32 years. Jack spent more time in my home than his own, as did Aaron. Like their parents, I had no clue there was anything amiss with either of them, yet they ended their own lives. Aaron spent the weekend previous to his suicide at my home, playing video games with the boys. He left us on Sunday, and on Tuesday he was gone.
What is it about our society that drives young people to drink, do drugs, and then find life so hopeless that they end theirs without ever staying long enough to find out what life has to offer?
America has long been a country of excess; this is no secret to anyone. But in my youth, we thought differently. While we had more materially than many other people, we were taught to be grateful for what we had, to work hard, and to share our good fortune with others.
We saw a brighter tomorrow, with men on the moon, advances in medicine, and racial and gender equality loomed on the horizon. Advances in medicine all but eliminated diseases like polio and malaria.
To be sure our country had it’s problems, but it was still a land where anything was possble.
Now, we are letting our own youth die off in droves due to the influx of drugs and alcohol, senseless violence, and an apparent sense of hopelessness.
This isn’t meant to be a political post about how the U.S. is or was greater than anywhere else. It isn’t about anything but what we seem to be standing by and witnessing; the decimation-morally, spiritually and physically; of our young.
I have been through the fire several times, yet suicide was never an answer, nor was poisoining my mind and body with drugs.
I believe that even in the midst of my darkest hours such as now, that there is a plan, and that tomorrow will bring some surcease from our pain.
I wish I knew how to impart this belief; this bone deep knowledge, to our young people. It seems they’ve given up all hope in some cases and that’s got to be a terrible place to be.