The failure to invest in youth reflects a lack of compassion and a colossal failure of common sense. — Coretta Scott King

The failure to invest in youth reflects a lack of compassion and a colossal failure of common sense.

Author: Coretta Scott King

Insight: We live in a time when people constantly debate "what's best for the economy" and "fiscal responsibility," yet we somehow struggle to fund schools, mental health services, and programs that keep young people engaged. It's a strange contradiction—we say we care about our future, but our actual choices suggest otherwise. When a society underinvests in its young people, it's not just a budget line item. It's a statement about what we actually value, stripped of the nice words. What makes this observation so sharp is the "common sense" part. It's not asking for anything mystical or complicated. A young person who gets mentoring, education, and opportunity costs society far less than that same person cycling through the criminal justice system, or struggling with untreated trauma, or unable to contribute meaningfully to the world. The math works. The compassion works. Yet we keep choosing short-term savings over long-term flourishing. The real sting is recognizing this isn't just about government spending. It shows up in families too—the parent too stressed to really listen, the mentor too busy to follow through, the school that doesn't have resources for the kid who learns differently. When we're stretched thin and exhausted, we naturally pull back from investing in the next generation. It takes intentional choice to keep showing up, even when it costs us.