If you stand back and take an objective look at it, sometimes it seems as if the world has gone off the deep end. There is violence, country against country; countryman against countryman. Not to mention the destruction man is waging against this planet we call home. One wonders how we've managed to keep from imploding long before now.
I think part of it can be explained by a lack of respect we not only have for each other, but the earth we live on. But, this topic is too broad, so I'll just focus on the lack of respect man has for his fellow man.
I believe we are all partially to blame for the problems we face today. It all starts with how we raise our kids. Young children are impressionable. They believe what they either see or hear. If we teach them hate, they will hate. If we teach them tolerance and respect for others, then they will generally be tolerant and respectful of others. Let's say you put a White Supremacist's toddler in a room with an African-American, Jewish or Asian toddler with an equal number of toys for each. What do you think would happen? Would they automatically hate each other? Would they automatically fight? Of course not. Racial intolerance is taught.
But, just as racial intolerance is taught, respect can be taught as well. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold committed terrible crimes against their fellow man in the shootings at Columbine High. I'd like to suggest they were a product of the society they grew up in. A society of intolerance where they themselves were bullied at school because they were "different". A society that values money over the well-being of it's young people by allowing violent video games, movies and music to be produced. I'm not for censorship. Far from it. I'm an ardent supporter of freedom of speech. But, there has to be a line drawn when either people or even animals are put at risk. Impressionable minds become desensitized to violence when they see it too often I believe. When we put financial gain, from production of such media, over the welfare of our youth we show a lack of respect for them.
Respect in all forms should be taught - from one ethnic group to another, from men to women, between different religious groups, from the high school jock to the overweight kid with pimples. People should not be treated differently because of where they're from, their gender, their faith or how they look. Not only for their sake, but ours. If we kick a dog long enough it's going to bite back. If we show him love and respect he'll stand by our side forever.
Jeff, As you know I lived in the city where Columbine Happened. It was a terrible thing that happened here. But living here in Denver, Co and for that matter living in the United States gives one a another perspective. Also being a mother of one son of my own now 20 and a stepson who is 18. Which is, I think that gun control is also something that in this country needs to also be looked at.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree to a certain extent that violent movies and games and for that fact then books too could or can have an effect on the youth today. I feel it goes much further than that. I think a big part of the problem today is lack of parental interest. I found while raising our boys and watching their friend's families, and other just out in world. Parents are too wrapped up in living their own lives than properly raising their children. To many just don't give a damn. To many are too lazy to do the real work of parenting. Too many want to be their kids friends and don't want to be "mean". Our kids deserve better. It is not the violent games, it is the parent that buys them and puts a tv in the kids room with the game station and the computer and let the electronic toys of today take over their minds, and consume their time. That way they don't have to parent, they close the door and kids stay in their all day feeding off that. It is not censorship that is needed it is better parenting skills.
I have been so angered these past 20 years as I grew up raising my boys. It is hard, it is one of the hardest jobs one will ever have next to marriage, and we are not prepared for that, no one really tells you that.
My stepson's mom had another child, a girl she is now around 7. I have heard stories from my stepson how he has to parent her. How his mom just wont tell her no. She hits, throws fits, and everything is handed to her, like they use to say on a silver platter.
When I came into his life at age 4 he could not dress himself, tie his shoes, and would not sleep on his own. He was out of control. While my son was 2 years older, he had been doing all those things for a long time. It is easier to buy a kid shoes with velcrow than to take the time to teach them to tie their shoes.
It is lack of parenting in my opionion. Not the crap that commericalism has made but the crappy parents out there that don't take the real time to parent their kids.
Going back to Columbine. I think that it was all blamed on them being teased. But I know of kids at our high school Jeff that were teased as well, everyone has been. I don't think that was it alone. I think that is the easy out answer for what happened there. I think our society does not take the time to love our kids enough to make the real sacrific, our time, and really parent our kids.
Sincerely,
Dawn
Hi Dawn. How are things going? Yeah, I agree there a lot of factors that contribute to why people do bad things. It isn't necessarily one thing or the other. For sure, I'm for stricter gun control. I've had that discussion before in the past. I don't think private citizens really need to own handguns. Of course, it comes back to the root problem - lack of respect for one another. Owning handguns wouldn't be a problem if people respected each other and didn't rob and shoot one another with them. If people were responsible gun owners then it would be fine. But, they aren't so gun ownership laws should be reviewed.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right about parents being more involved in their childrens' upbringing. It is a huge responsibility and a lot of work for sure. Though, sometimes, no matter how good a job you do raising your child, they still might not turn out well. There are a lot of external factors that come into play. Though, if a child respected his parents and vice versa, many of those external factors wouldn't necessarily adversely affect his or her behavior.
So there's a bit of work to be done by everyone. Everybody has to make an effort to better this world. For both our generation and our childrens'.
Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts. You are right many factors fall into play. The long and short of it is we all need to be better people. We all need to respect eachother more. We all need to be open to helping our fellow man. We would all have a better world to live in.
ReplyDeleteMakes me think back to the last time I went to church. I am a catholic. After mass my husband was pulling out in the parking lot with our 2 boys in the car and a fellow parishiner got angry about something and fingered my husband and yelled out his window at us in the church parking lot to get the f***k out of his way. I was in complete shock. I could not believe that someone would behave that way minutes after leaving church. That was enough for me. I felt and guess I still feel since I have not yet return to church, that going to church does not make one a better person. That you have to live god's teaching not just show up at church.
Which brings me back to your thoughts that we all just need to be better people with less violence.
Hope all is well with you my friend. Happy Holidays.
Hi Dawn,
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're right about going to church not making you a better person. I think it's all too common that people who attend church are like that. A lot of them behave one way inside the church, but once they're outside they behave differently. It's pretty hypocritical as far as I'm concerned. I've noticed it too. Of course not all church goers are like that, but there are some.
I'm sure you've heard about all the problems with Catholic church here in Canada too. There was a lot of sexual abuse going on in the church that they tried to hide or cover up. Eventually word got out and the church had to make a public apology. It's terrible that even men in leadership roles in church can abuse children in their care. How crazy is that? If you can trust a man of God, who can you trust?
Still, I like to attend my church. It's funny since I don't even know if God exists or not. I like singing the worship songs and I like our pastor. I think he has a lot of good things to say. So I'll still continue going.
Thanks for your holiday wishes. Things are going well with me. I wish you a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year too. Take care ~