MegaEpix Enormous

presents

BLAME
by Lisa Robinson

The burden of blame is being put squarely on the shoulders of the parents. To some extent this is fair until you look at the schools and what they allow to happen to our children, and the government who has taken our rights as parents away from us.

There was a time when parents knew where their children were, who their friends were, and what they were doing in school. They attended church as a family and shared in activities that were morally and ethically sound. The parents were the parents and commanded respect and disciplined their children accordingly. Now with both parents working we are lucky if we know who our children are or even if we like who they are becoming.

The United States government has seen fit to take some of those parental burdens away. We are not allowed to discipline our children without checking the growing list of laws regulating how we are allowed to punish without going to jail. A few children know the rules better than we do, using them as a weapon to avoid punishment. If your mom grounds you to your room without your TV, VCR, Nintendo, Pepsi and phone, call the police; it is cruel and unusual punishment.

We send our children to school with the expectations that they will return safe and unharmed. Wake up! From the time your child steps on the school bus, he is learning the rules of survival in the public school system.

1. Be dressed cool.
2. Fit in at all cost.
3. Keep your mouth shut when something is wrong or be labeled a goody-goody, geek, nerd, or just the class whipping boy. Be prepared to fight or submit to days upon days of harassment and being embarrassed because you made the mistake of being uncool and in school. If you are cool, the jock, cheerleader or class president, you had better toe the line; one wrong move, like protecting a nerd will make you a nerd to and subseptable to the same treatment.

Do the teachers notice? Sure but, how can you police every child in the school at every moment? They turn their backs and ignore the small problems, but are surprised when the problems start taking lives.

As the boy held the gun to the girl's head she begged to know why he wanted to take her life. His reply, "You have always been mean to me." Somehow she lived but you can be sure she will think about being mean to any one again.