Wednesday, April 02, 2008

What we're really teaching our children

by expatbrian

child.jpgI actually love stories like this because, while rare they are a true testament to what our country, our way life has become. Instead of being coddled and pampered with the absurd promises that everything is going to be ok, Americans need to be bashed over the head with a little horrifying reality.

If it ever dawns on us how truly uncivilized we are becoming, there might be a chance for our society to survive. But if we don't save our kids, we have no chance at all. With what our children are watching on TV, the games they are playing on their computers and Play Stations, and what they actually witness in the streets, its no wonder this kind of shit happens.

A group of third-graders plotted to attack their teacher, bringing a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items for the job and assigning children tasks including covering the windows and cleaning up afterward, police said Tuesday.
It seems the students, 8 and 9 year olds, were upset at their teacher because she had scolded one of them for standing up on a chair. So about nine of them plotted to teach her a lesson. With duct tape, handcuffs and a knife. Sounds like it was going to be a serious lesson.

"We did not hear anybody say they intended to kill her, but could they have accidentally killed her? Absolutely," Tanner said. "We feel like if they weren't interrupted, there would have been an attempt. Would they have been successful? We don't know."
The obvious question is, what sociological conditions must exist for any group of students, let alone 8-9 year olds, to even imagine doing something like this? What have we as adults allowed them to be exposed to and conditioned by? Will we ever change course so that those conditions no longer exist? If not, what's next?

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6 Comments:

Blogger QueersOnTheRise said...

Must be Bush's fault. Nothing else could possibly make sense.

9:25:00 AM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

Certainly not you. It must be nice to have an argument you can use for any purpose. Too bad it's as irrelevant as you are - and almost as stupid.

10:09:00 AM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

My God Brian, that's horrifying. When I was 9 years old, most kids just wanted to run away and join the circus.

5:41:00 PM  
Blogger rockync said...

And people wonder how Hitler could have such a hold over all those Germans? I think someone better keep a close eye on the ring leader of this group; sounds like he could eclipes Hilter before he graduates high school! A very disturbing story of the declining social and moral aspects of our nation.

6:35:00 PM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

Oh I think morals have been declining since the concept was invented. At least it's always seemed that way. Perhaps during the late 19th century some thought that morals were improving - at least in England and America, but more likely we just got better at euphemy and at portraying oppression and conquest as the advance of civilization.

Isn't the central theme of the Bible, that morals and piousness (obedience) have been declining from the dawn of humanity? Otherwise it would be a very short book.

9:22:00 AM  
Blogger rockync said...

I wasn't thinking of religious morals so much as society's moral fiber. Remember when you didn't take something or didn't wreck someone elses's property because you knew your parents would whip you? The idea that if you did something you shouldn't you knew there would be painful consequences. And service to community; the adults had a sense of responsibility to their community and were active in organizations. They set the example for youth to follow. If our parents generation weren't so civic minded I doubt there would have been the revolution of the 60s & 70s. I'm sure some would rather it hadn't happened, but, there was a sense of this was our country and the "establishment" weren't doing a good job preserving and protecting her. I guess that would be a better description; civic responsibility.

9:58:00 AM  

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