Sad to say, there are problems among our youth with drug addiction. Many people find themselves getting hooked on drugs because of sadness, depression, anger at their parents, back pain, or even out of peer pressure or boredom. A struggle occurs between doing what one ought not, and what is available.
Glad to say, that the South Dakota National Guard’s Counter-drug program received the 2011 Fulcrum Shield Award at the Pentagon Hall of Heroes in Washington DC in October 2011 during the 21st annual Secretary of Defense Red Ribbon Week Awards ceremony. Their support of South Dakota’s Youth-to-Youth program was commended.
What is The Fulcrum Shield Award? First let’s take a word at the meaning of the words, as not everyone will remember them from their days of science classes. If you think of a see-saw in the playground, the fulcrum is the part that holds up the board that the kids sit on. When you think of a lever, it is a long skinny piece that rests on a smaller, but very sturdy piece, so that when you push down on the longer end, you can exert pressure to lift something on the shorter end. The fulcrum in the sturdy piece providing the supports.
A shield, of course, is a piece of armor used for defense from an enemy. Any films about hand-to-hand combat prior to when guns were invented will usually involve some sort of shield that was carried to protect the body from swords and javelins and knives.
The Fulcrum Shield Award was created by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counter-Narcotics. The purpose is to commend the spread of anti-drug messages that is done by any youth organizations that are affiliated with the military. These messages can be seen as a fulcrum – a support system that can be used to provide strength to those who need it; they can also be seen as a shield, helping to deflect the attacks of all those temptations that would enslave young people to drugs.
The South Dakota Y2Y is youth-led and adult-guided, using peer pressure as a positive force to encourage young people that they do not need tobacco, alcohol or drugs.
