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Batavia PD asks for assistance in locating missing teen

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Missing: Ronald Murray, 16 years of age.

Ronald Murray left his residence on July 5th, 2011.  There is no reason to believe that there are any criminal circumstances regarding his missing status. The Batavia Police are asking for assistance in locating Ronald Murray to confirm his well being. If seen, or a person has knowledge of his location, please call police dispatch 345-6350 to report.

Lisa Falkowski

Wow, what's going on with these teens? Hope he's found safely, and as with any other, hope he's able to address the issues that led him to leaving home.

Jul 13, 2011, 8:59am Permalink
Doug Yeomans

Lisa, they're exposed to the depressing news from around the world! Young people that I have contact with are in turmoil about their future. Good jobs are gone, we're involved with more than one military conflict, the world is bankrupt and they're being told that they and their children will bear the burden of today's financial mess. Sounds stressful to me! What is giving these kids any hope for a decent future?

I'm not saying that this is true in every case where a young person is missing but young people do take bad news to heart. Older people can usually brush it off as another day of crappy news and get on with their life but young people do not have that resolve yet.

Jul 13, 2011, 1:35pm Permalink
Billie Owens

Doug, add to that high divorce rates, multiple marriages and patchwork families, the easy availability of drugs, the phony allure of gangs, the hypersexed culture that cuts childhood and rushes adulthood, and the lack of a cohesive social/civic network. It must be tough being a youngster today. Anything you can do, no matter how small, to make the world a better place, do it without hesitation. Magnanimity is my favorite word.

Jul 13, 2011, 1:46pm Permalink
Doug Yeomans

You hit the nail dead on the head, Billie. Society has literally fallen apart..there's no glue holding it together anymore. I know exactly what you're talking about with multiple marriages and patchwork families. It's very stressful to everyone involved.

Magnanimity (derived from the Latin roots magn- great, and anima, soul) is the virtue of being great of mind and heart. It encompasses, usually, a refusal to be petty, a willingness to face danger, and actions for noble purposes. Its antithesis is pusillanimity. Both terms were coined by Aristotle, who called magnanimity "the crowning virtue."

Jul 13, 2011, 5:00pm Permalink

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