I think that's the key. How did it get broken in the 1st place? This blog post is about how I think our society got broken and how I think we can fix it. I do not apologize if I offend anyone with this post. I think that is part of our problem. Too much concern over offending someone. So, if I offend you, don't read this post, don't share it, just ignore it and move on with your life. Just know this, if I offended you then, you are probably part of the problem as I see it, so you sleep well at night knowing that you are contributing to the downfall of our society!
The most significant change I have seen is the change in our parenting ways. We think we are doing better, creating better children, but are we really doing so with the changes we have made? Or are we just creating a society of children that feel they are entitled to everything? Children that are sheltered from reality that they have to face when they get into the real world? Children that don't understand why the rest of the world doesn't give in to their demands?
1. We want to give our children everything we didn't have when we were kids. Every generation does and wants to do this. So, why would this be wrong? Well, eventually, we are giving our kids too much. We stop teaching them the value of actually earning something. We rob them of the feeling of being rewarded for doing a good job.
2. We bribe them to do things we want them to do. When on Earth did this become ok? We became lazy as parents. We just want to take the easy way out to make the kid stop crying. Well, this may be making our lives easier in the short term, but we are damaging our kids in the long run. Before things changed, if you didn't want to do something your parents wanted you to do, that was just too damned bad! You either did it or you faced the consequences. Which was usually a spanking. Then, you got the spanking and ended up doing what you didn't want to do any way. So, you quickly learned to just shut up and do as you were told.
3. This brings me to my next point of change. There have been many studies on this subject and many differences of opinion. But, the fact remains that when children received spankings as a punishment, there were less senseless killings in the world, less violent bullying, less disrespectful children. Now, I'm not saying that not spanking is to blame for all of the above. But, it is certainly worth thinking about it as a factor. When you knew that if you mouthed off to Mrs. T. down the street you would get your butt beat when you got home, you certainly thought twice about doing so.
4. That being said, when did we forget that it takes a village to raise a child? Now, if your child mouths off to Mrs. T. down the street, does Mrs. T. call you to tell you what your child did? Or does she bring your child to you by his ear and tell you what he did? Or does she spank your child herself and send him home to tell you what he did? No. Because our neighborhoods are not full of neighbors anymore, they are full of strangers and Mrs. T. probably doesn't know your phone number. Or if Mrs. T. were to bring your child to you by his ear to tell you what he did, you would probably tell her to get her hands off your child and slam the door in her face. Or if Mrs. T. were to spank your child and send him home to tell you what he did. You would probably call the cops on her.
5. I know I just talked about the "violent punishment" of spankings. So, my next point may seem contradictory. But, violent video games have been a change. At first, I didn't think this one had much validity because if you have ever watched Tom & Jerry you will know that violence on TV has been around for a while. The difference, I think, is in the video games. Watching cartoon violence is much different than putting a gun in the hands of a child and having them blow the brains out of their enemies. Plus, if they die, they come back. This problem is two-fold because it diminishes the meaning of life and death and it desensitizes our children to violence so that it is almost common place to get a gun and shoot your problems away.
6. Political Correctness. This one is change that is disguised as good change. But, it is something that has changed since society was not all that bad. So, it is worth looking at. We have to be careful that we are not saying or doing anything that might offend others. Well, if I believed that, I wouldn't have this blog. Since society has become "soft", we have a bunch of people that can't handle reality. Everyone must cater to them and their feelings. Well, I think this is total BS! Now, this does not mean to be rude to others by any means. I still think we should follow the golden rule to do unto others as you would have done unto you. This just means to use your manners and be kind. Some people have taken it too far. I'm sorry but,if you're black, you're black. I'm white. So what. I'm not Caucasian and you're not African American. When we try not to offend anyone with our thoughts or actions, we end up not having any thoughts or actions.
7. We are not giving our kids enough credit to be able to handle disappointment. We are teaching them to be too sensitive. Remember when sports used to teach character and how to win and lose properly. You know, when sports taught sportsmanship. We have taken this away from our kids. We don't keep an official score in little league because "it's not about winning and losing, it's about having fun". What a crock this is! If you want your kid to have fun take him to the playground. Once you are on a ball field, you are there to win. If you don't win, you lose. Plain and simple. If you lose, you try again. We are robbing our children of the ability learn how to lose. At the same time, we are robbing them of the feeling of winning and the meaning and importance of being a good winner as much as being a good loser. These are essential life skills that we are keeping from our children.
These are just a few changes that I have noticed our society has made in an effort to make life better. But, instead we have wound up with a broken society that I am afraid for my children and grandchildren to live in. It's hard to move backwards. But, if we realize we are headed in the wrong direction, it's better to turn around than to continue down the wrong path.
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