At the heart of this angst is the deteriorating spiritual fabric of our society, reflected in the rising tides of secular, hedonistic and nihilistic thinking.  Postmodern relativism, as the grandfather of these worldviews, has paved the way for all manner of moral confusion. Consequently, sexual chaos on a national scale as well as unprecedented levels of social violence continue to escalate. In 1966, there were three mass shootings in America (Rockefeller Institute of Government). In 2024, there were 503 and as of October, 2025, there have been 350 (Gun Violence Archive).

From social media’s toxic dark hole to adolescent isolation and depression, the mental health issues of our young people have become endemic and epidemic. One troubling marker is the growing evidence that suicide deaths in children ages 8-17 are actually higher when schools are in session; in fact, studies indicate pediatric suicides increase by 30 to 43 percent during the school year. And since the Pandemic, adult rates of depression, anxiety, drug abuse and alcoholism have all been rising, reflecting the escalating mental health struggles American youth are contending with at home.

Finally, consider the ideological assault fomented in both our school and government halls. In 1901, Stanford University professor Edward A. Ross declared public schooling to be "an engine of social control."  In 1909, Dr. Ellwood Cubberly, author of college textbooks used by generations of teachers and principals, said that "each year the child is coming to belong more and more to the state, and less and less to the parents."  Thanks to decades of progressive education, only 31% of our 4th graders read at grade level.