Until we stop giving children rights beyond what they are capable of understanding, and start punishing them when they do wrong this will never go away. We remove the right of adults to discipline a child, parent, teacher or police officer makes no difference, these days the child knows that they cannot be punished in any meaningful way
We sit in the middle ground of our self-inflicted PC world and fear to offend anyone and in so doing we offend everyone. Until we stop giving people rights they neither deserve nor understand, until we stop thinking respect should be given instead of earned, until we punish the wrongdoer rather than the victim this will go on. We promote the rights of the individual, without attaching any social responsibility to them, and are shocked when no responsibility is shown.
Young people have always felt that the world owes them something and that they are somehow within their rights to take what they want, but it was in the past tempered with the knowledge that the price of such arrogance was severe. This is no longer true. We give our children full rights and powers of protection without demanding anything in return. We expect them to behave within our rules but give them the freedom to ignore any they choose to, only for us to show surprise when they do just that.
We feed them on a diet of mindless violence via computer games, music and films and are shocked when they glory in the violence they use as entertainment. We place the shallow and talent less on pedestals and laud them as role models, fostering the belief that celebrity and wealth is all that is important, while the method of achieving it matters not one bit.
We have no heroes anymore. Those we should look up to cheat steal and lie then hide behind the laws that are supposed to punish them. Those that are punished are then invited onto daytime TV and the gossip rags to tell their story and receive huge rewards for so doing. The heroes of the young are shallow money orientated and self-indulgent. Kids aspire to be reality TV stars, WAGS or Gangsters. The idea of selflessness is ridiculed and derided. The cult of self is all powerful. Give one of these young people a knife and ten more will carry one for protection, or to look hard or for respect. Put ten knives in a fight and people will get killed.
Now I know these are generalisations, but the thing with a generalisation, is in general it’s not too far from the truth.
Disclaimer: I know not all young people are like this, but they are not the ones generally doing the stabbing.
The view from our garden on Tuesday night.
Well as the Army is half the size it used to be surly there's a barrack block we can house em all in. After all, if it's good enough for those risking life and limb it should also be fine for those who send them out to do it. Get em all to muck in a bit, foster a bit of team spirit, talk to each other maybe...... A bed, telephone and internet connection, and a few Twatco basics to live on and I'm sure they will be fine.
Can I be the one to tell em...eh...can I...can I... :bounce:
Happy Birthday
Have a good one :cheers:
To be honest I think Martha is well sexy, but I'll always have a firm spot for Sarah Jane.
Anyone else thing Miss Piper was talking like she had her jaw wired?
The little boy approached the wise one, and sat in the dust at his feet. He looked deep into the old man's ageless eyes and spoke.
“Tell me again Grandfather, Tell me of the coming of the white man and his iron horse that smells of chip fat, tell me of the Firestarter who burns his coco and the great plains to ash, tell me of the painted ladies who spill from their clothes like the great waterfall, tell me of the buffalo soldier who devours sugar puffs deep into the night, then sleeps all day, tell me of the breakfast maker and his house that contains all things, of the men who fight with water guns and stick the hair from their faces to their hats when they eat, tell me of the man who drinks only water and air, but still giggles like a madman, tell me of the great circle, when the white men puffed into small things till their eyes popped out and their cheeks went red, tell me of the gifts they gave you, of the cup that plays a song when you lift it”.
The wise one laughed and and shook his head.
“Running Deer, is there anything else you would know”?
“Yes Grandfather” replied the boy laughing,” tell me again how they tried to flog you a used dog ……
One thing worth considering though, is what you assumed to be shock and disgust, may have been shock and embarrassment on the part of the girl. Suddenly being confronted with something out of the ordinary often causes a moment of intense confusion while we try to work out what is different and why, then having to re-adjust our thinking to take the new information into account.
Having extra fingers is not so rare though, I remember some years ago a calculator advert that was published has a drawing of a six fingered man holding the device. The add was featured on “That’s Life” I think and the company said they would give away a free calculator to anyone with six fingers. Calculators were a lot more expensive in those days…..anyway it cost them a fortune as hordes of six fingered people wrote in for one.
Unfortunate accident, or cunning marketing ploy…you deciede.
) 
