Back on the soap box
Ok. I read something that I don't have a link to that kind of irks me, in that "Government is Too Big" kind of way. I think I've figured out why Government has become so. The simple answer? Laziness and apathy, along with a healthy dose of lack of responsibility.
But Chris, how can you say such things? Easy..
We as Americans have become lazy. Again? Where is my evidence? Look at the statistics for the average weight of our citizenship. Most Americans are, by definition, overweight or obese. Why? Because we'd rather sit on our ass when we get home from our days activities, and sit in front of the television set while we get spoon fed the events of the day through a highly filtered source that would prefer to tell us how to think. Our Parents and Grandparents got more exercise than we do. In fact, during World War II, there was concern about people being ineligible for military service because they were UNDERWEIGHT. That's right. Underweight. Not weighing enough. Today, that concern has swung to the other side. There have been statements made by high ranking military officials that have said that "Fully, 75% of those that are eligible for military service by age are disqualified for other reasons. Drugs, Criminal Records, not completing High School, medical conditions, or being overweight."
I would also consider not finishing High School being lazy, unless there is some other bonafide medical reason they are unable to complete the curriculum.
I would say that parents have become apathetic about the welfare of their children.
Again, Chris, how can you say this?: Easy..
When parents do not take an active interest in their children, the children will turn to other avenues to get it. For most children living in the cities, that avenue often is drugs or gangs, which often lead to criminal behavior. Again, 50-60 years ago, we did not have this problem. Why? Parents took a more active role in their children's day to day activities. If you're unable to take an active role, perhaps you should not have had the children in the first place. What does this mean? It means be there for your children. Get them involved in activities that aren't socially destructive. Support them in things that they want to do that are beneficial to society. Ask them questions as to what they are doing, whom they are going out with, yes both romantically when age appropriate, and who their friends are. Also, 50-60 years ago, teachers were rulers of their classrooms. Kids knew that a beating could ensue if they misbehaved in the classroom. It helped with the discipline of the hooligans to know that the teacher could take a more direct approach than sending them to the principle. See, children are like pets in some regards. If you come home to find a pet has peed on the floor, you can't punish the pet then, because the event is not in the pet's mind. You don't know when the event happened, unless they just happened to do it as you walked in the door. There's a disconnect in the pet's mind between why you're beating them, and the pee on the floor. The same disconnect happens with kids. They don't understand why they're getting beaten unless the beating happens right after the misbehavior that causes it.
Parents have also become lazy in the welfare of their children in that they do not monitor what the children watch on television or the internet. They have, instead, chosen the cop out of having the Federal Government through the FCC decide what is and what is not appropriate for their children to view on the screen. This is a cop-out and needs to change. If you're punishing a child, do not send them to their room where they have the internet, TV, VCR, DVD player, Computer, and all sorts of other entertainment handy. When I was a kid, getting sent to my room actually meant something, because it was a restriction of my freedoms, and was usually in punishment for something I had done wrong. See, it meant something. Now, most kids don't want to leave their rooms, because they have everything they need there to be happily entertained for hours on end.
I consider when parents have turned over a wide variety of their parental duties to others as a healthy dose of a lack of responsibility. This way, when something goes wrong, and little Johnnie does something that has the cops knocking on their door, they can claim ignorance, and blame it on society. Bullshit. Parents, you are ultimately responsible for how your children grow up. Take responsibility for your kids.
But Chris, how can you say such things? Easy..
We as Americans have become lazy. Again? Where is my evidence? Look at the statistics for the average weight of our citizenship. Most Americans are, by definition, overweight or obese. Why? Because we'd rather sit on our ass when we get home from our days activities, and sit in front of the television set while we get spoon fed the events of the day through a highly filtered source that would prefer to tell us how to think. Our Parents and Grandparents got more exercise than we do. In fact, during World War II, there was concern about people being ineligible for military service because they were UNDERWEIGHT. That's right. Underweight. Not weighing enough. Today, that concern has swung to the other side. There have been statements made by high ranking military officials that have said that "Fully, 75% of those that are eligible for military service by age are disqualified for other reasons. Drugs, Criminal Records, not completing High School, medical conditions, or being overweight."
I would also consider not finishing High School being lazy, unless there is some other bonafide medical reason they are unable to complete the curriculum.
I would say that parents have become apathetic about the welfare of their children.
Again, Chris, how can you say this?: Easy..
When parents do not take an active interest in their children, the children will turn to other avenues to get it. For most children living in the cities, that avenue often is drugs or gangs, which often lead to criminal behavior. Again, 50-60 years ago, we did not have this problem. Why? Parents took a more active role in their children's day to day activities. If you're unable to take an active role, perhaps you should not have had the children in the first place. What does this mean? It means be there for your children. Get them involved in activities that aren't socially destructive. Support them in things that they want to do that are beneficial to society. Ask them questions as to what they are doing, whom they are going out with, yes both romantically when age appropriate, and who their friends are. Also, 50-60 years ago, teachers were rulers of their classrooms. Kids knew that a beating could ensue if they misbehaved in the classroom. It helped with the discipline of the hooligans to know that the teacher could take a more direct approach than sending them to the principle. See, children are like pets in some regards. If you come home to find a pet has peed on the floor, you can't punish the pet then, because the event is not in the pet's mind. You don't know when the event happened, unless they just happened to do it as you walked in the door. There's a disconnect in the pet's mind between why you're beating them, and the pee on the floor. The same disconnect happens with kids. They don't understand why they're getting beaten unless the beating happens right after the misbehavior that causes it.
Parents have also become lazy in the welfare of their children in that they do not monitor what the children watch on television or the internet. They have, instead, chosen the cop out of having the Federal Government through the FCC decide what is and what is not appropriate for their children to view on the screen. This is a cop-out and needs to change. If you're punishing a child, do not send them to their room where they have the internet, TV, VCR, DVD player, Computer, and all sorts of other entertainment handy. When I was a kid, getting sent to my room actually meant something, because it was a restriction of my freedoms, and was usually in punishment for something I had done wrong. See, it meant something. Now, most kids don't want to leave their rooms, because they have everything they need there to be happily entertained for hours on end.
I consider when parents have turned over a wide variety of their parental duties to others as a healthy dose of a lack of responsibility. This way, when something goes wrong, and little Johnnie does something that has the cops knocking on their door, they can claim ignorance, and blame it on society. Bullshit. Parents, you are ultimately responsible for how your children grow up. Take responsibility for your kids.