the sad reality that is today...

 

Yesterday, a Facebook friend posted a short video of a boy not much older than seven years of age going on a verbal rampage, every third word he used was the F bomb! and an adult was videotaping this! Although it was about two and a half minutes long, I clicked it off after 45 seconds. It was too painful to watch. I turned on a program called America's Funniest Home Videos last night. In one short clip, a young girl no older than two was dumping cereal on the floor. She followed it up by pouring a half gallon of milk over the whole mess. In the background, one could hear an adult laughing at her antics. Really? Such irresponsibility! Who gets to clean it up? Most important, you have just taught your child that wasting food is funny. In reality, it isn't--not when so many are going hungry daily.
In the latest news, an older teenaged boy is convicted of murder. He spent most of his waking hours playing a violent video game. Do you think the game lead to his actions of violence in real life?
Today's world, people...it's scary out there! Three women who were kidnapped at least ten years ago have just been reunited with their families in Cleveland, Ohio. Sad truth: they were mere FEET away from a gas station and a convenience store. Help was just footsteps away. Yet no one really paid attention to what was happening in this run down house.
What is going on in our world when people are becoming hateful and domineering over others? When thoughts and feelings are cast aside for the mere reaction, no, the shock value- of "wow, look at what I did!" Let's go back to those children that I mentioned earlier....where was the positive parental influence? The one that teaches responsibility and the whole "this is the outcome when you do that, so don't do it!" mentality? Instead, what is perceived as "cute" or worthy of being put on "youtube" is actually just laying the groundwork for future mayhem that eventually escalates into madness and loss of life.
Don't think so?
Kids need to grow up in an environment of learning right from wrong. That there are rules for being a kid. One of them: respect your mother and father. So simple. It's in the Ten Commandments. Jesus even made it more simple: "Love God, love your neighbor." How can you go wrong? If you love your neighbor, you will do everything you can to ensure their well being. Children have pliable minds. If they aren't taught good, positive direction, they WILL find an outlet for whatever their minds conceive...to the detriment of the world around them. They live what they learn. Be a parent, people...don't be afraid to take the controls of the TV away, as well as the video games, which maybe shouldn't be in your house at all. Monitor what they see on the internet. Do they REALLY need a cell phone at age 9? And hey, state of California...let 12 year old boys be just that: twelve years old. They do NOT need condoms in every school bathroom! They DO need to learn about the consequences of sex/pregnancies/and STD's....but it must be mom and dad who teaches them. And parents, why are you stepping back and allowing government to tell your kid right from wrong? TAKE THE LEAD! Teach morals, teach that "this leads to THIS..." and many times "this" can lead to heartache, sorrow and pain. Teach your children about empathy, to realize that the world does NOT revolve around them and that it takes a whole village to work together for the good of the village! Give your children chores, set goals, teach discipline and self control. Most of all, validate your children in a positive way, be there for them as positive role models, be a HERO for them! When I was young, we had heroes: astronauts, doctors, teachers, we had Fran Tarketon, we had Notre Dame football; we had good music from the Carpenters, the Big Band era, Johnny Cash; we could stand up and say no to what was immoral. We had Pa Ingalls, Lassie and Mother Teresa. Now all we have are the memories of what was...and an empty void of what could be. No one has stepped to the plate and continued the tradition of being a hero to a kid.

What about you? Be a mentor. These kids are the future of all of us. Do you really want some child, age seven, to look you in the eye and say (excuse me...) "fuck you?"
Me neither!