Well, I suppose that everyone cared what their neighbors thought of them and at least tried to be civil to those that didn't. While a rich kid with lots of toys was great to visit, we still preferred to go home. And if visiting us, that kid threatened to take his marbles and go home if we didn't let him win...he went home. Your value system wasn't about things...it was who was a good baseball player, ran the fastest, swam farthest and even that wasn't enough if you were a mean kid or had an attitude. You were what you could and did do, not what you had.
Kids that got into fights at school - were often taken to the corner of the field and forced to fight it out until what ever wrong was less than the beating you were getting...coaches just watched. Principals at school paddled kids for infractions that warranted it ... and if the kid's parent(s) complained they were told to make their kids behave or they would be banned from school for a few days - such kids misbehaved like that home enough, the parents did what they had to, so their kids could go back to school.
If you broke a window with a rock, ran across a neighbor's flower garden, mistreated an animal, left trash in the neighbor's yard...any adult would tell your parents. If the parents didn't fix that, their reputation suffered to be no better than their kids and were shunned.
AND TODAY?
AND TODAY?
I blame it on Mister Rogers...he liked them "just the way you are"...so the bad ones kept on...and the good ones didn't think they had to improve.
I blame it on a liberal society that made being liked and politically correct more important than being honorable and respected.
I blame it on adults who were more concerned about making their children happy than good, who felt they had to entertain bored children or they didn't love them as parents...to stop them from whining.
In a previous generation if you were whining it was usually for having to do some chore and it mattered not one whit...because you still had to do it and if you didn't stop there would be no allowance on Saturday...and you knew there wouldn't be. Teens were grounded for cursing. Younger ones got their mouths washed out with soap - it wasn't considered poisoning and it was a nasty taste in your mouth that was harder to get out than those words..
I blame it on a liberal society that made being liked and politically correct more important than being honorable and respected.
I blame it on adults who were more concerned about making their children happy than good, who felt they had to entertain bored children or they didn't love them as parents...to stop them from whining.
In a previous generation if you were whining it was usually for having to do some chore and it mattered not one whit...because you still had to do it and if you didn't stop there would be no allowance on Saturday...and you knew there wouldn't be. Teens were grounded for cursing. Younger ones got their mouths washed out with soap - it wasn't considered poisoning and it was a nasty taste in your mouth that was harder to get out than those words..
What does this all mean?
Successively worse from one generation to the next, parents parent less and children rule more. The older generation enjoyed prosperity and good times and therefore could afford to provide more for their children and did. Their children as parents thought it natural to give their children more than just the necessities...to be loved as they loved their parents and giving equated to love...but both parents had to work in order to afford that. The next generation felt entitled to more than the necessities and demanded them...from any adult, teacher, care giver (remember Mister Rogers said it) or it was permissible to disrespect, vandalize and steal. The Ten Commandments weren't taught, respected...or even understood except that it was what "the man" dictated to be ignored when it suited.
Successively worse from one generation to the next, parents parent less and children rule more. The older generation enjoyed prosperity and good times and therefore could afford to provide more for their children and did. Their children as parents thought it natural to give their children more than just the necessities...to be loved as they loved their parents and giving equated to love...but both parents had to work in order to afford that. The next generation felt entitled to more than the necessities and demanded them...from any adult, teacher, care giver (remember Mister Rogers said it) or it was permissible to disrespect, vandalize and steal. The Ten Commandments weren't taught, respected...or even understood except that it was what "the man" dictated to be ignored when it suited.
What it means is that people expect to receive, not give, and they don't have to earn it ! Respect, money, friendship, love, property, food, medical care and you name it whether necessity or more...earning it is more difficult than demanding it, if that works. Many people living "off the system" actually believe that they have earned their public dole for having stood in line waiting for it.
Many people enjoy national security, but because they didn't earn it themselves, they think they are just entitled to it...or they can just pay mercenaries for it (professional soldiers in an all volunteer versus citizen Army, or pseudo-military organizations that hire out to protect in foreign lands)
Many people enjoy national security, but because they didn't earn it themselves, they think they are just entitled to it...or they can just pay mercenaries for it (professional soldiers in an all volunteer versus citizen Army, or pseudo-military organizations that hire out to protect in foreign lands)
When does that change?
When prosperity and luxury is replaced by impoverishment...and that day is rapidly approaching...and that applies to children, adults, towns, states and nations. Yet today we still are "politically correct" to encourage the taking of what we have by those unwilling to earn it.
Mother said, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Amen!
When will it get better?
When we earn it!
When prosperity and luxury is replaced by impoverishment...and that day is rapidly approaching...and that applies to children, adults, towns, states and nations. Yet today we still are "politically correct" to encourage the taking of what we have by those unwilling to earn it.
Mother said, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Amen!
When will it get better?
When we earn it!
