Sometimes Honesty isn’t the Best Policy

How about a story that doesn’t pertain to politics and who said what nasty thing about whom? A story about a little boy, his pet and how his mother had to decide if telling a little white lie was the best course of action.

Preservation of Innocence is just that kind of story. Based on my son, Austin, his pet hamster, Raptar, and me, his mom.

Enjoy.

Al Gore tells Children their Parents are Stupid

Al Gore, the father of the internet and one-time future President, who basically fell off the deep end, told 3,ooo 12 yr olds that they shouldn’t listen to their parents.

On January 19th, Gore told impressionable youngsters at the University of Maryland Youth Inaugural Conference that it was up to them to question their parents; because there are some things that they know that older people don’t.

“But I’m thinking back a long way to when I was your age and the civil rights revolution was unfolding,” Gore said. “And we kids asked our parents and their generation, ‘Explain to me again why it’s OK for the law to officially discriminate against people because of their skin color?’ And parent’s try to tell their kids the right thing, you know? Usually, I do. And when our parent’s generation couldn’t answer that question, that’s when the law started to change.”

Okay, so let me get this straight. According to Gore’s statement above, the Civil Rights Revolution was made possible because my parent’s generation couldn’t answer why blacks didn’t have the same rights as whites; so the law just changed all by itself.

Listen up, Al. There were plenty of PEOPLE that could and did answer the question as to why there was reprehensible discrimination. Those very PEOPLE fought for what’s called an Amendment and that very Amendment is now in what’s called our Constitution. Therefore, Al, the law didn’t perform magical tricks and transform itself. American People, ADULTS, made it happen. ADULTS were and are more intelligent than school aged children.

Al Gore went on to tell these children that they should question their parents; because we are in a period of rapid change and parents have old assumptions that are obsolete. He said there is new knowledge out there and it’s more widely available to young people who are in school and aren’t weighed down by the old flawed theories of their parents.

In a nutshell, Gore told these children that their parents are stupid and outdated and that their opinions and beliefs are wrong! He told these kids that they are the only ones that can access new information because schools are the only places that have all this new knowledge. Wow, I had no idea-probably because I’m just a stupid, outdated, flawed parent. Guess I better chuck my computer, internet, cancel cable, quit reading and just ask my kids what’s going on in the world!

Gore should be brought up on criminal charges. He has no right or authority indoctrinating our youth. He has absolutely no right and again, no authority, telling our children not to listen to their parents. It’s child abuse telling children that their parents are stupid and that their ideas, opinions and beliefs are wrong. Al Gore is a menace to society and if anything is a threat to our global atmosphere it’s him.

The Menace of Convenience

I was shopping today; yes my life now consists of mommy things, shopping, writing, and my favorite-napping. Needless to say I’m in my glory…anyway, while in the checkout line I heard a baby wailing and I cringed. I have to explain myself and the cringing.

My 2nd son turned colicky at 3 weeks old and cried all the time plus he didn’t sleep straight through the night until he was almost 2. When I hear a baby cry in a store I immediately get all knotted up inside; so I try to get out of hearing distance of the sound, but if I can’t, I leave the store. Well, in this case I was already checking out and the mother of the wailer was now pushing a double stroller-double as in twins, out the door, so I relaxed and finished my task.

While I was loading my Jeep Liberty (I feel inclined to advertise I buy American), I spotted the woman with the twins and almost dropped my bags! She was at the rear of an SUV with 2 infant seats in the hatch and she was strapping those babies in those seats! I stood there, in the parking lot, with my mouth agape, not believing my eyes. How could she see them while driving? What if they choked on something? What if she got rear-ended? Then it dawned on me-if she couldn’t see them, she probably couldn’t HEAR them either. Not to mention it was a lot easier loading them in and out of the hatch than it was the back seat.

Now, I can totally relate to a whiny kid. Been there, done that, still sane-I think. However, there is no way I’d ever do anything UNSAFE for convenience. Anyone that knows me knows that my vehicle doesn’t move until all passengers are in their own seat, strapped in their own belt and no one under the age of 13 sits in the front. Rules are there for a reason and I do my best to follow them. Some family members think I’m a spaz. Well, at least I make my position known and stand by it-- no flip-flopping.

Being a safety spaz and seeing a woman strapping her babies in the hatch of an SUV made my head spin. How she secured those seats I’ve no idea; but at least her stroller was safe and sound in the back seat! I don’t know if this woman did this out of stupidity or convenience. Doesn’t matter much, those babies were NOT safe.

People have to get licenses to cut and dye hair and to drive and sell automobiles; but any moron can reproduce and raise a child. What the answer is I’m not sure. Too bad people don’t have to take a test before having children. Can you imagine how many would fail? As I’ve come to discern-convenience is more important than safety and common sense isn’t common.

A Disenchanted Generation

I feel regret for Generation Y. No, you don’t need glasses. Those born in the 80’s and 90’s have missed out on a lot and I feel sad for them. Oh, I know they have it all, just look at the technology! Ipods that fit in the palm of your hand that play songs and videos and store addresses, a calendar and appointment reminders. Cell phones have made it possible to contact anyone, anywhere, anytime. The internet has spread instant communication to people all over the world and research for school projects is easier than opening a can with the One Touch Can Opener. However, there’s no intimacy. They communicate TO one another but not WITH one another.

Human interaction has been replaced with gadgets and gizmos and people are wondering why we have more cases of ADD, bipolar, depression, and other psychological disorders than previous generations. Well when you don’t LOL anymore it's no wonder there’s so much depression, our endorphins aren’t being used. These kids have hundreds of television channels to surf 24 hours a day and if they don’t find something entertaining they can access pay-per-view and watch a movie. They don’t know how to use their imaginations or make real friends or play nice…they have Play Station and Xbox and they don’t have to compromise with anyone-just blow them up!

They hang out at the mall on a Friday night with Mom’s Visa and buy whatever strikes their fancy. These kids have no concept of money or how to actually earn it. So, yes, I feel sorry for them. They don’t know what it’s like to have the television screen turn blue at one o’clock in the morning and hear The National Anthem play in the back ground but still be wide awake so you read yourself to sleep. Or when you wanted to see a movie you actually drove to the movie theater, purchased a ticket, popcorn, soda, and candy and called it Family Night. When you wanted a pair of jeans you asked your parents and they gave you a list of chores, besides the ones you already did once a week, to EARN the money because this was above and beyond your allocated school necessities. Or how about when you were bored you rounded up your friends and played It or Freeze Tag in the back yard until it was too dark to see. They missed out on sitting down and actually penning a note to a friend, sealing it in an envelope and walking it to the mailbox then waiting for a reply. There is much truth to the age old saying “Anticipation is sometimes better than the reward”.

Generation Y, the Y denotes yearning, because they’ve been given everything instantaneously which leaves them craving more-NOW. I think a grave injustice has been bestowed upon this generation with instant gratification and that alone has made them obstinate, demanding, indolent, and insensitive. Has my pity been misplaced? I think not.

Childhood Desecration

Kids need child control not birth control!

A middle school in Maine is issuing birth control pills to girls as young as eleven without parental consent. This is totally acceptable to an unbelievable amount of people. According to their way of thinking kids are going to have sex so they might as well be protected against pregnancy. I heard one woman say girls as young as nine should get the pill, but eight was too young because they weren’t menstruating yet. I actually gagged when she admitted she’d allow her daughter to have sex that young.

A man said he’d personally hand his twelve year old daughter the pill if she said, “Daddy, me and Johnny want to have sex and you can’t stop us.” Just because a kid wants something doesn’t mean we, the parents, supply it. If my fourteen year old says he wants to drive-I’m not going to give him the car keys.

I’m the parent and it’s my obligation to ensure my child’s emotional, psychological, and physical well-being. An eleven, twelve or even fifteen year old kid isn’t emotionally or psychologically prepared for sex. In my opinion handing children birth control is promoting prostitution. This is beyond ridiculous…it’s corrupt. If we don’t stop this insanity the schools will be doing sex demonstration classes next, using volunteers from the classroom. And I don’t want to hear anymore of the so-called arguments-They’re going to do it anyway or They’ll go to the mall then leave and get a hotel room…blah, blah. The rationale holds no merit as far as I’m concerned.

It’s my job to keep tabs on my child twenty-four-seven. It’s called parenting. If more parents took their job seriously we wouldn’t be in this mess and kids wouldn’t be running the homes or running amuck, and the schools wouldn’t be buddying up with our children. It’s time we parents took our children back and taught them morals and sex education at home and demanded the school perform its actual duty--teaching the three R’s-Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.

Sticks and Stones

As a kid I can remember being bullied. It made me feel bad and there were times when I had to hold back tears least the bullies see and call me a crybaby. However, I endured, persevered…strengthened even. This was the era of Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me and Takes one to know one and who from my generation could forget I’m rubber you’re glue; what bounces off me sticks to you?

Oh, those phrases, my saving grace at times. I used them like a security blanket and they helped me feel a little better. I flung those sayings at the bullies like balls from a canon to give myself a sense of power, no matter how false or fleeting it may have been. I used those snappy little clichés to try and prove I wasn’t affected by the cruel, harsh words hurled my way, but inside I was angry, embarrassed, dejected and humiliated.

In spite of the cruelness of childhood and the callousness of some children, I prevailed and I believe I grew stronger each and every time someone picked on me. As an adult I don’t get offended at remarks directed at or about me or heard through the numerous media avenues. I walk tall and proud among my peers. My posture is flawless today, having perfected it years ago as a defense mechanism. I don't have to be reminded to hold my head high, my chin up and my shoulders back-- it's quite automatic. When I walk into a room people turn and take notice because my presence demands attention. I'm not stuck up nor do I think I'm better than anyone else. I just know my own self-worth and it's not determined by what people say. It’s not assessed by the color of my skin, my nationality or religion, where I shop, the clothing labels I wear, the square footage of my home, the transportation I use or the balance in my checkbook. One’s sense of worth is determined by one’s inner strength and character. And mine was built years ago when I chose not to let someone’s words define who and what I am.

The Female Debacle

I’ve noticed over the years that women, like me, have progressed, but not all evolved in a positive manner. Many believe that getting pregnant before or without marriage and a daddy is totally acceptable. There are numerous web-sites, chat rooms and blog spots exclusively for single unwed mothers. They give and seek support from one another for such issues as child support from dead beat dads, what to do about their ex’s new girlfriend, how to meet a new stud, and where to find a baby sitter so they can go out with said stud.

These women complain and condemn the fathers of their children; ranting on and on about how much they hate him, then in their next breath state how much they love their child. THAT really confuses me. I love the baby we created TOGETHER, but I hate YOU. How can you hate him but love something that is half of him? The mental attitudes of these women dumbfound me. It’s as if they’d rather have men only for pleasure and bank accounts. They might as well come right out and say it. I only want a man for sex and money. That way they can at least claim SOME dignity by being honest.

But they don’t have to face the truth. Our culture has bent the rules so much that it’s socially acceptable to be a single mother raising a few kids all from different fathers; children being raised by grandparents; and children being raised by two sets of step-parents with step and half siblings. We can’t call it “Dad and Me Day” at school anymore. New Politically Correct terms are needed to include many different people like grandfather, uncle or even Mom’s new friend, Bob.

Moms bring many new "friends" in and out of the child’s life which is confusing and emotionally damaging to children. The excuse, and I use that term lightly, these women have for going through boyfriend after boyfriend is the fear of being alone. Can you even believe that one! They have a beautiful child that loves her beyond anything in the world; his primary goal is to please and make her smile; his entire universe revolves around his mommy. And she has the audacity to fear loneliness! More like she’s afraid she’ll SLEEP alone.

Women who are more concerned with their carnal desires than they are for their child’s emotional, physical and psychological well-being make me sick to my stomach. These pathetic, selfish, weak-minded women are a disgrace to the female race and I’m ashamed to be of the same gender. Thankfully there are women, like me, and others in my family and circle of friends, who consider marriage and motherhood sacred. We have quality, integrity and character and hopefully one day we will out-number those females who devalue children, and the family unit will be reinstated and esteemed once again.