Education and Discipline
Two words that are what I blame for today’s society and the dramatic increase of crime and idiocy. Well, actually ‘the lack there of’ education and discipline.
While Discipline is clearly the larger of the 2 issues, there is almost as much to be said about Education.
Education in this country is at an all time low. With the governments attempts to improve using things like SOL’s (Standards of Learning), all they really do is focus on the schools ability to teach the barely teachable. Many schools will simply cut the weak students in order to increase the overall scores. This is unfair and isn’t very helpful to those in need of education but lack direction.
Government has removed funding over the past 2 decades, forcing schools to remove valuable programs like Art, Choir, Music, Woodshop, Autoshop and Drama. These programs are essential for many reasons. It gives the children creative outlet. It helps them focus on reality. It gives them opportunity they may not actually have until they discover a hidden talent or trait.
I could go on for several pages, but this won’t really cover more than the basic points I’m trying to make.
Discipline is the biggest part of the issues of today. Crime has blown out of control. Yet, 90% of these crimes are now being committed by very young adults and teenagers. Children killing children over depression or hatred. Parents being abused by their children. Children stealing, carjacking and dealing drugs. I wish I were not living in this time period honestly. It’s frightening to have lived among a several neighborhoods where these children run the streets and their parents lives.
This is due to roughly 15 years ago or so, they stopped physical punishment in the home to try to stop physical abuse to children. A.K.A. no more spankings. Did they really think that would honestly stop abusive parents? Their children live in fear. There should be better programs in place in schools and businesses for safe harboring children of abusive families. However, a spanking (properly given) teaches a child to have a fear and respect of reprisal. Children today have little fear of reprisal, and do pretty much as they please, because this new idea that if Daddy or Mommy gets mad, a child simply threatens to have them put in jail for abuse.
This compiled with the gang violence that started in the streets of many major cities over racial and territorial disputes on both the west coast and east coast of America. The glorification of violence in music and music videos. Many of todays teens and young adults find it a badge of honor to have killed or be involved in some sort of crime.
Due to this glorification of Gang Violence, many teachers in the school systems have given up on the children either through lack of caring or fear for their own lives. Leaving us in a vicious circle of spiraling around an endlessness of lacking Education and Discipline.
The question remains, how do we reverse this? Is it even possible? Or are we doomed to have these kids grow up and run our country, our lives, our future into the ground…
