SALUDOS V

Grief, horror, anger, hatred, fear, worry, insecurity, the whole gamut of emotions has been the result of last week´s attack. This is exactly what the perpetrators knew would happen. It was not just an attack on physical structures and people, but an attack on the very nerve center of the country with ripple effects extending to everything involved in our daily lives. Every day I become aware of still another change that has affected the things we took for granted before. The mastermind of this plot is nothing less that an insane genius to have orchestrated such an all-inclusive onslaught.

I always ask myself why superior intelligence is spent on things of destruction. Today, hackers with special skills that the average person does not have, design viruses with the sole purpose of disrupting and damaging. To them it is a challenge to see if they can get away with it. No thought is given to laws, right of others or just plain respect for others. The most serious aspect is that many of the guilty parties have not yet become of age. Who or what is to blame? The basic responsibility lies with the parents. They are often too permissive and teach absolutely nothing about discipline. Why? Because most of them both have to work to make ends meet and so prime time with the kids is a thing of the past. Baby sitters could care less about teaching anything since they are many times adolescents themselves. Of courser, I am generalizing, but the references I make occur all too often. Much of the problem is a result of children watching whatever on the TV. What do you see these days? Violence, everything blowing up, fighting, killing as if it were just another daily event, are all viewed matter of fact. How can one expect the immature mind to differentiate between right and wrong when that is all they see day in and day out? Have you seen the cartoons? The Simpsons and several other supposed children´s cartoons are almost pornographic. Another reason for erratic, disruptive behaviour is the easy and well-known availability of drugs.

In the schools teachers cannot teach. A total lack of respect and pandemonium reigns in the classroom because of several things that have evolved directly from lack of guidance at home and the effect of television. The supposed to be funny sit-coms display arrogance on the child´s part towards the parents and smart-ass answers which is perceived as “cool”. I have first-hand knowledge of the hardships that teachers have to endure. The students boldly call the teacher every name in the book and if reprimanded for doing so they say; “Don´t touch me or I will sue you”. These are not idle threats because parents will back Johnny, and the principals who fear the school will be sued, back the parents leaving the teacher no place to go. I cannot imagine my talking back to a teacher or my parents as a child. Anyone daring to do so in those times would have been expelled from school and severely punished by the parents.

Unfortunately, the same trend has reached Mexico also. Mexicans are emulating Americans more every day. The sad thing is that they are emulating all the negative, distasteful, ugly and downright disgusting habits, namely graffiti, earrings placed indiscriminately on all parts of the anatomy, but even worse poor attitude toward all things that were sacred in the past.

En fin, I believe Americans have to make a decided change in attitude and awareness with specific reference to their own personal family habits in order to avoid the nurturing and propagation of such individuals on our own home front. Until the time that people really take on that responsibility, one can only hope that the majority of the upcoming generation comes to their senses and becomes a benefit to society. These are only observations and all I can do is sit here and stew in my own juice.

By
Bruce Stokes

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