Let me ask you this:
Are there any parents left in this country who teach their children respect for authority? No doubt there are, but the evidence becomes less evident every day. Look at what happened this past week-end at the Knights of Columbus hall in Vanier.
Paramedics were called when a man fell unconscious. As they loaded him aboard an ambulance, a crowd of about 50 young men and women attacked the paramedics, forcing them to lock themselves in the vehicle and call police. Reports indicate the mob cursed and swore at the paramedics, then began rocking the ambulance with the frightened paramedics locked inside. The mob threw bottles and pounded and kicked the ambulance.
Fortunately police arrived before anyone was injured or killed.
Why did the mob turn on the paramedics? No apparent reason, other then a total lack of respect for any form of authority and more than that, actual distain, even for those trying to help their unconscious friend.
We saw much the same situation a couple years ago during one of the infamous tequila sunrise parties. It was a mob of high schoolers who mobbed paramedics trying to help a youngster who drank himself into a stupor. In that case the mob actually prevented the paramedics from assisting the young man who’s life was in danger.
Keep in mind we’re not talking about trailer trash here or street gangs. In both cases, and there have been many other similar instances, the young people involved were essentially kids next door. This past weekend they were attending a 19-year-old’s birthday party.
I know I will be accused of old fartism, but the fact of the matter is this kind of thing would never have entered the minds of my generation, or for that matter my daughter’s generation either.
Those of my generation didn’t grow up angels, nor did my daughter’s, but there is absolutely no way we or they would have attacked paramedics trying to help our friends.
This is a relatively new phenomenon, thanks in large part to parents who simply have failed to instill in their children any sense of respect for others, and further to that, not only a lack of respect, but actual distain for anyone representing authority in any form, obviously this even includes paramedics.
Young people today, for the most part, have grown up in the belief that there are no consequences for their actions. They taunt their parents and teachers with impunity. They are not allowed to fail in school. They quickly learn that they are essentially untouchables, above common decency and discipline of any sort - thus above the law.
And you know something?
They are absolutely right.
To my knowledge, not a single charge was laid after the tequila sunrise incident and Ottawa Police did not lay any charges following this past weekend’s disgraceful attacks.
You would like to think that at the very least a few parents would raise some hell if their children were involved in any of this.
What do you think are the chances of that?
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9 comments:
Lowell,
The problem of youth violence and criminality is revealed in Stats Canada's own statistics. Since the early 60s, violent youth crime has exploded several hundred percent. The numbers seem all the more alarming when it is considered that the mean age of the population has been steadily increasing-- there are less and less young people, and more and more old farts like Lowell (and myself)! Intuitively, one would expect a decrease in youth crime; Fartsters generally don't terrorize the community --except, for Lowell Green, perhaps!
Faced with the undeniable reality of increasing youth violence, the "progressives" will tell you all about root causes --their favourites being 'racism', 'discrimination', poverty'... and ... George Bush.
A major reason for this increase in dysfunctional youth is the fairly recent phenomenon of community fatherlessness, something you'll never hear progressives or feminists admit!
This is not to say that many good kids don't emerge from single parent families, but the odds are against it. It is not a healthy thing for a young man to grow up in fatherless communities and to attend all female-run schools. And then there is the kid who grows up with no dad or mom at home...
Peter
(Ottawa)
Yes, parents ARE failing their kids. By not teaching them self-discipline and basic respect for other human beings, they are setting them up to create a very rough society for themselves - and my kids.
But, on the other hand, the parent's hand in raising their kids has been increasingly hampered by the state: now, a judge can even overturn a father's 'grounding' his daughter for a punishment. It would appear that parents are increasingly afraid to parent....
Unless this would be 'culturally insensitive', that is!
I have noticed for quite awhile now that children have no respect for elders, including their parents. You can hear parents argueing with their 2 and 3 year olds instead of just telling them what to do once. The child usually wins the arguement. What will happen to these children when they grow up and have to work with others and respect their bosses.
when I was young, if my parents told me to do something I replied yes sir or yes mother. Today the kids just don't bother to even react to their parents. You can hear parents in the stores and resturants argueing with very young children and the child usually wins in the end. God, my parents only told me once and if I didn't do it I got a spanking. After that I heard every word and did what I was told. At school I got the strap several times until I learned to respect the teacher and do what I was told.
Today no one can punish a child and they know it, so how do you control them without some punishment other than saying time-out, what ever the hell that is.
There simply inst enough information to make a comment on this article. as a stand alone piece, its absurd of course. Which itself these days is a kind of information as the limits on media imposed by government and various organisations make lack of information a kind of information in itself.
Questions not answered: who where these people? Lowell has made it about parenting. I want to know what the culture of these people where. If they were indigenous Canadians then parenting and cultural decay is a good explanation. But Canadians have been brainwashed into thinking that all cultures are equal and any question of that is racist. Many cultures inherently do not trust authority. This could be the simple answer and as no description of the crowd was given,considering the new standards of Canadian journalism its a good bet this crowd was from such a culture.
While I agree with the statement that "Parents are failing their children", as a parent of 1 and 2 year old, we will be teaching them respect for themselves, others and authority. However, what is daunting is that fact that 50 peers have more impact than 2 parents.
It seems as though there are parents that run in the majority where this respect is not taught, consequently leaving a majority of youth in this category.
As Lowell has stated, we were not all saints, however, when it came to authority, it was respected, and respected by the majority. When the majority sways in one direction, as an impressionable youth it is difficult to go against the grain.
Given the “trend”, it is my hope that I instil enough self-respect, respect for others and authority, that my children have enough strength to avoid situations like the one described, or at the very least walk away.
I read and agree with the comment that parents are increasingly hampered by the state. But I would go a step further. I say the state is controlling the raising of our children through the almost inevitable parking of kids at daycare instead of making it easier for parents to raise their own children. (especially here in quebec.)
Strangers feed and provide for the physical needs of children. Parents provide the transport to & fro.
Strangers observe the children. Parents rely on reports.
Strangers attempt to guide the children, although their main goal has to be making sure the many children in their care don't hurt themselves or others. Parents leave them to it, comforted by the notion that these strangers are better qualified. After all, the government says so, and these folks have papers to prove how qualified they are. (Says she, tongue planted firmly in cheek.)
While some consider the changing of diapers and feeding of children the most tedious parts of raising them and often feel anyone can do them, my view is that these are intimate interactions between children and parents. Before children develop reason they are naturally self-centered and aware of only their own needs. This is a normal and necessary survival instinct. The natural progression is that the person providing for these physical needs becomes the natural authority in the child's life. This instinctive respect for the person who provides becomes the basis for the child's understanding of authority and respect as he develops reason. If too many people are performing these jobs interchangeably the natural progression is lost. Without the natural progression during early childhood the child will not comprehend the more complicated concept later on in life.
Daycare workers can't possibly observe their many charges closely enough, and through sheer necessity their guidance will be limited to making sure the children are safe. So now we have parents who do not provide the majority of the children's physical needs trying to get to know their children and guide their children in the limited time left. They have in essence, become the babysitters.
Certainly it is unreasonable to expect paid strangers to be parents to our children, and even the best-meaning parents can't be expected to raise a happy healthy well-balanced child who shows and understands respect on evenings and weekends. The big losers are our children.
We have to take our children back.
My humble opinion. sorry it was so long.
Koko B.
koko...quote"especially here in Quebec"???? Give me a break..Through the billions of dollars we "Canadians" give to Quebec you can send your child to daycare for $7.00 a day while the rest of us are paying triple that and more!!...It's never enough with you people. And I'm sick of it. Try paying $20.00 a day for 2 children and then talk to me about daycare. And if we stopped sending so many billions of dollars to Quebec to pacify them in to staying in Canada maybe WE would have money to stay at home with our children.
koko, oh to clarify in case you misunderstand. That was $20.00 per child. A total of $40.00 per day. $200.00 a week for daycare. So I can pay taxes and ALOT of it going over there. You might get the picture why some (and many more everyday) are getting fed up.
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