And I should know, I’m still pretty much one of them. I like to think my parents did a pretry decent job. But my friends parents that’s a different story.
I had friends who could walk all over their parents. They would get grounded all the time, but mommy and daddy never enforced it, so it never mattered. They kept on doing what there were doing (not that I minded really, that meant we got to do all the really cool stuff at these kids houses). The parents excuse was always, “Little Jonny has ADHD (formerly ADD). He’s not responsible for his actions, so I shouldn’t punish him. whimper whimper.”
Personaly I think that’s a bunch of bullshit. Most kids are a little hyperactive, that’s the way nature makes us. It’s the parents’ responsibility to teach the kid to CONTROL their moods and emotions, not get rid of them. And a little pill doesn’t help much after a while (ask my older brother).
Oh, and just so no one is under any dillusions, girls are just as bad as boys. They’re not as loud and obnoxious, but from my experience they steal a lot more. They’re much better at it too.
And for anyone asking, “where the hell does this newbie get off…” I’m really bored at work, and this place is pretty cool.
Well, first of all, the store doesn’t really have security per se, so therefore there would be no one to detain the kid. Second, my manager did file a “Suspicions of attempted theft” report, or something like that. See, since the kid didn’t actually leave the store but was only 5 feet away from leaving the store when he was caught, no actual theft occurred. If the manager did let the kid leave so theft occurred, then the store would have no legal authority to do anything since the kid would no longer be on the property of the store.
Man, if I was ever caught doing something remotely wrong, I was grounded indefinitely. If I had ever gotten caught stealing, I probably would have pissed my pants, and this kid just laughed, and his mom didn’t even say one word to lecture her kid. It’s a sad, sad state when parents spoil their kids to the point that they let them break the law.
I’m very glad you’ve been out of Colorado, Necros, and I can see why you went back, as that John Denver guy was not (entirely) full of shit, and CO is damn nice. So you’ve been to the south side of chicago, I’m guessing you saw some shit go down. Tell me, did you stop every kid you saw tagging up on the street? Did you accost every kid who smashed a bottle? Did you tell the kids on the corner drinking 40’s outta brown paper bags to move along? I’m guessing you didn’t. Does that make you a “shallow brain-dead pussy?” Of course not.
And to make it clear, I never said anything close to the “I’m from NYC so I’m a god” shit. I said A)the neighborhood and sitch I was in was bad enough to make me think twice about stepping in and B) I am not a street tuff. I have been in the Apple long enough, however, to pick and choose my moments.
My theory on this sort of behavior is that it has less to do with permissive parents than with the increasingly mobile nature of our culture.
If you grew up 2 or 3 generations ago, in a small town, or in a neighborhood of a larger city, you were probably known to most of the people you encountered during your day. If you and your buddies made trouble you could be sure it would get back to your parents. The store owner in Monster’s story would likely have known the kid and his mom by name, or at least been familiar enough with their faces to identify them. It’s a lot easier to behave badly if no one knows who you are. (I’m reminded of the trailers I’ve been seeing for Hollow Man: what would you do if you never had to look at yourself in the mirror?)
Someone in Spider’s case (faced with a large group of rowdy kids) wouldn’t have to make a choice between stepping in (and risking physical harm to himself) and ignoring the behavior, because a third option would have been available-calling up their parents and letting them know what their kids had been up to. And the kids would know this, and that knowledge would temper their behavior.
But these days, people move around all the time. They change jobs with much greater frequency and often times those job changes require a move to a new part of the country. How many people these days really know their neighbors? How many live in or near the town they grew up in?
Obviously, the trend toward a more mobile society is here to stay. But since we can’t depend on the “community”, the job of parents has become much tougher. And it’s not just kids; it’s everyone. It’s a lot harder to make morally correct choices with no one watching.
I tell you what. This is really upsetting after a while. If only people would realize that giving their kids a swift smack on the behind is not abuse, many kids would be a lot better off. I know it sure straightened me up. God forbid it now, though. You know we’ve gone to hell when it’s wrong to discipline your own children. And the worst part is, I know this and I’m only 18. Who knows what the fuck is going to happen to me when I have children of my own and have to set them straight.
To all of you contemplating taking someone’s child to task: don’t do it!
-First; physically striking a child will result in you being charged with assault and battery!
-The parents may well also sue you for damages (and of course you will have to hire a lawyer to defend yourself)!
I think the legal system is a big reason why people arer afraid to intervene in the incidents mentioned. Here’s one experience I had:
I was in a downtown Boston dept. store, buying a pair of pants. While I was walking back from the changing room, I saw three juveniles (male) busily stealing shirts and pants-they were putting them on IN THE CENTER OF THE FLOOR!
I immediately cornered a floorwalker, and gave hime a description of the kids and what I saw them steal. His reaction was of annoyance with me!
I realize that ultimately I am the one that pays for shoplifters-the store recovers its losses through higher prices. I was more than a little teed off by the whole incident. obviouly, most downtoen stores are robbed blind! And nobody does a thing to these fine young criminals