The recent events regarding the elderly man beaten due to the “boredom” of teenage kids infuriates me. He had to have one of his eyes removed and now is afraid to leave his home.
I don’t know about you, but I know for a fact that we cannot control or cease to have crime exist completely. After all, we as Americans tend to have different ideas of right and wrong. I believe in refraining from drinking and driving. We can probably all agree that there are many other beverages to consume besides those with alcohol content. How about refraining from stealing? Albeit, most of us are low on funding yet we have learned to adjust to the best of our abilities. Killing, well, of course that is out of the question. I can honestly state that at one time or another I felt like touching someone via a quick hit to the jaw, but I digress.
In order to solve the problem we have to get a hold of our children at a very early age. When my daughters began crawling, I used the word no more often than not. I taught them what not to touch. The flame of the candle, a glass plate, a hot food item, among other fancy schmancy items up on a shelf. Sure,
at times we may have had something broken, yet in all essence, it is
truly just a material item or two, most of which can be replaced.
When we set boundaries for our children we are setting them up for success. The golden rule of every household should be “KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF”. All
of the above mentioned crimes have to do with one person putting their
hands on an item or person which they have not been giving permission
to touch. We have to
teach our children that they will suffer serious consequences if they
choose to touch something which does not belong to them.
What in the world would ever lead someone to believe they have the right to violate another human being? What
has gone so very wrong in some American families which would cause 13
year olds to harm a man whom has probably never considered harming
anyone throughout his life? The teens state they were bored. The first assailant states he was told he would be considered “soft” if he did not go through with the initial blow. What
about the gang on the corner who attacked the Hispanic business owner,
dragging him from his car, beating him to the point of hospitalization? How
about the kid pushed at a party while attempting to dance with a girl
only to plow them down with his own car at 40-50 miles per hour?
In all reality the truth of the matter is this: we cannot and never will be able to create decent parents. As the old saying goes, you have to take a test to obtain a license, yet one will never have to pass an exam to become a parent. There is no amount of time and financial resources available in order to ensure every child a safe place. One cannot install a camera into the room of every youth under the age of 18 without violating their constitutional right to privacy.
So, then, what is the solution? I
believe that there should be a different facility to hold youngsters,
yet my thought is to charge the individual according to their crime,
regardless of age. Refuse to give the kid a break because he or she is a “minor”. If
I know as an adult that I can be charged with a crime, more often than
not I am going to stay within the guidelines of the law. I believe that parents should be held responsible for the actions of their children. If there were consequences for parents of children who commit criminal acts, I believe that we would see results. Not only do we need consequences, but we also need direction and assistance as well. It is time we begin to change the mindset of those who have little respect for human life. It is time we set higher expectations for the parents of children who are going astray. I know this seems impossible, but I believe that we have exhausted our options and it is time for a change. How about we invest some of the received stimulus package into a new program, a rehab program which has a new outlook? Let us ensure the staff is high quality and not overloaded as well.
So, everyone, what are your thoughts? Does anyone have any ideas or solutions to decrease future tragedies? If you knew tomorrow you or your loved ones would be the next victims, what would you say you wish you had done different? What would be your course of action to prevent that from happening to the next man, woman or child? Let’s come together to take our society into a u-turn type of state and create a safer environment for our children.
