Our chaotic world
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Our chaotic world
| Thu, 12-06-2007 - 12:00am |
I remember as a child we would be able to leave our front doors unlocked and feel safe. We could walk around the corner to our friends house without our parents worrying if we would get there ok. No more. Today, a 19 year old boy walked into the mall next to where i work and opened fire killing 9 people and wounding others. This makes me sick. Everywhere outside the mall , including my work, was on lockdown. You see these things happen on the news and think how lucky that its not your town. But today it was my town.

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That mindset IS the problem. (Please understand this is not personal and is not directed at you. This is a very pervasive mindset and comes from being indoctrinated with leftist/liberal ideology for years, beginning in school) I hear similar arguments all the time and it's just so exasperating ! "Why do they hate us ? Why did they attack us on 9/11 ? What did we do wrong ? How did we fail as a society ? We we we.. "
I refuse to accept the premise that we are at fault, or that society is at fault. Society is nothing but a collection of individuals; individuals with individual responsibility. When are we going to stop blaming ourselves and society and lay the blame squarely where it belongs ? It does not take a SOCIETY to raise a child. It does not take a SCHOOL to raise a child. It does not take a VILLAGE to raise a child. And it most certainly does not take a GOVERNMENT to raise a child. What it takes to raise a child are two committed parents - parents who love their child, and yet enforce strict discipline as and when needed. Not parents who are 'buds' with their child/ren, not parents who acquiesce to their child's every demand, not parents who punish their kids with "time outs", but parents who are PARENTS first. As guides, as role models and as authoritative figures. Children do not have to be raised with the help of the above four, but despite them.
The real problem is -- people who have no business having children, are having children. And I don't mean the unwed single mothers stuck with a child; I am talking married couples who don't know how to be PARENTS. If you cannot be parents, don't have children.
As for this loser who went and shot eight people, I couldn't care less about him. What I want to know is who the parents are and how he was raised. Like someone said, if you want to understand why a child behaves the way he(she) does, just observe the parents.
Edited 12/6/2007 3:11 am ET by hillaryh8er
The media has played a part in it. Look at what's on TV now, versus what was on in the 60s, 70s and 80s. There's more nudity, foul language, and violence now than before. In the 80s, the nudity was limited to cable, and not everyone had it... now it's on network television, and in CARTOONS.
Video games - the improvement in graphics quality and the violence in the games plays a part. I have an Atari 2600, and the most violent game I own is Space Invaders. Or maybe Vanguard? Well, either way, it's one of the "shoot the little spaceships" games. Now there is Mortal Kombat & Grand Theft Auto - where you kill people. In Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, you shoot people too, and while it is violent, it's a step down from GTA. (And a great stress reliever for me.)
The generation I grew up in (children born in the late 60s / early 70s) said, "I'm not going to raise MY children the way I was raised. I'm going to be nice to my children." And that's just what the majority of them
It's amazing how much more it affects you when it's close, isn't it?
I have to agree with hillaryh8ter on this one a bit.
Our world hasn't changed all that much.
Our government needs to stay out of our business. Parents need to start parenting their kids. Let the schools discipline the children, stop whining that little johnny can't get detention or suspended because they would never do anything bad, not your little johnny. Teachers can't even break up fights anymore for fear of being sued for touching your kid. This is where your society has gone wrong.
The media plays a large role into why you THINK that there is so much danger everywhere. Child abduction, yeah you think it's worse nowadays, I think statistically there aren't anymore kidnappings nowadays than there ever were it's just more in your face and media attention is played to it due to amber alert, and the media being right on top of it. When I was a kid, you didn't know about it right away because they didn't have amber alert or any of those types of things. Not every kid in america had a cell phone to report the second things happened etc. You didn't have a 2nd to 2nd update on billboards and highway overpasses of child abductions 10 states away. You think it's happening more but I don't believe per capita, population wise that its anymore than it is when I was a kid.
Kids can still go ride their bikes outside, you can still have your kids play in the backyard, just like I did when I was a kid and if you are a parent, get outside too and play with your kids. Guess what your kids wouldn't be obese messes either. When I was a kid I didn't get chubby until I hit puberty, I was always outside running around and playing, we played in the backyard of my babysitters house. My babysitter didn't let us in the house unless it was raining and if it was raining we were in the basement playing with barbies. Someone has to buy their kids playstation with the graphics with the violent images. So stop buying em.
There are plenty of great kids out there and there are plenty of great things that go on everyday and the media doesn't focus on it because destruction and bad things make for great headlines much better than the good stuff.
Smile,
Deirdre
First of all, I'm sorry something so awful had to happen so close to you (citygal) or at all.
I never really talk about my far past, I am going to "hint" at it now.
Right now you "think" the world changed. Something foolish, cruel and unthinkable touched you. I often say the word "fair" should not exist. It's not fair that this is what Christmas will be forever more in the minds of so many people touched by this loser. Especially at the hands of this loser frankly, how can a jerk like that "win"? But they do.
There is no explanation, there is no higher meaning, this isn't video games or movies or the press. 1000 years ago mean people burned villages, raped, pillaged
It doesn't happen very often but I 100 percent agree with you.
As liberal as I am, I DON'T agree with being "buds" with my kids, I DON'T believe in "time-outs," I DON'T believe in "reasoning" with a two-year-old and I DON'T believe in permissive parenting. No means no and there's no bargaining with it.
When my kid does something wrong (and that warrants it, of course), he gets a spanking. Discipline is not the same as abuse and anyone who doesn't recognize that should NOT have children. Plain and simple.
As for what else has gone wrong - I think that a lot of it is the news-as-entertainment factor. This sort of stuff (violence) isn't exactly new, it's just that you hear about it more now. Kids hear it too and think - "Wow. I could shoot up a school like those kids in Colorado and everyone would know my name too!"
Remember when news was simply read by a news anchor at 6 and then again at 10 p.m.? News was just news. Now we have cable stations dedicated exclusively to "news."
But I agree, parents need to start acting like PARENTS.
Tell you what. I am going to get my eyes tested over the weekend and re read your post, OK ? :)
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>> I 100 percent agree with you.
Edited 12/6/2007 2:53 pm ET by hillaryh8er
Yes, believe it or not, it's true. SOME Democrats do have some sense. Not all Democrats are tree huggers and want to coddle everyone.
I'm probably about as liberal as they come, but I'm certainly not "buds" with my kid. He has gotten a spanking when he deserved it. And I'm quite sure I haven't damaged his precious self-esteem over it either. And, imagine this! - he knows how to say "Please" and "Thank you."
Amazing what a little parenting can do.
>>Yes, believe it or not, it's true. SOME Democrats do have some sense. Not all Democrats are tree huggers and want to coddle everyone.
Thank you.
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