Monday, September 27, 2010

The world has plumb gone crazy

OK. I have this child, he is almost 4 years old, and I would like to state for the record right now that I would like this world to FIGURE ITS SHIT OUT before I have to launch him into it. Because the evidence so far is everyone out there has gone LOCO.

First there was the guy in New Mexico who decided it was a good idea to kill a dog with a chainsaw. WHILE HIS CHILDREN WATCHED. What level of demented do you have to reach to think, as Cooper would put it, this was a good choice. In fact, this was a series of bad choices with a side order of raving lunatic.

Then there was the mom who was arrested for watching her high school daughter fight a girl from school and coached her while she was fighting. Oh yes, and it was caught on MANY videos, posted on the web and honestly, every person who just stood there while the fight was going on, hooting and hollering, should have been charged with something. Sadly being stupid isn't illegal. Yet. The problem is who gets to decide what is considered stupid.

The woman said she went to the fight, to make sure her daughter wasn't hit in the back of the head by her opponent, as she had sustained a skull fracture, from a "previous incident." I am sorry, WHAT? She didn't go to STOP the fight, but to make sure her daughter, who apparently has a history of getting into "incidents" where she can sustain a skull fracture, didn't get hit in the back of the head. You know, possibly causing more injury. She was arrested on charges of child abuse.

Then on the news this morning was the story of a 14 year old boy in Providence RI who stole a van from a local organization, caused one accident which got the police after him. He refused to stop for the police, and during the pursuit he caused another accident, killing a 9 year old girl and injuring her mother and siblings. And himself.

I am not providing links to these stories as I really don't want to connect to these ridiculous and revolting stories, but they are out there. Google it if you would like.

What is wrong with these people? Why don't they have that thing in their brains, in their souls that says "HEY, this is actually a really bad idea. People will get hurt, I might get hurt, I AM HURTING OTHERS. And hurting others is bad." What happens to someone along the way in their lives that causes them to stop thinking that way?

If I thought moving to a farm in the middle of nowhere would help, I would do it. But it won't. The world has a way of finding its way in, so you need to learn how to deal with it. But I don't know how you explain things like this to a small person. So far I don't have to. He is blissfully unaware that the world can be this wrong. He gets glimpses though. When a little boy he doesn't even know tries to take a toy away from him at the park, Cooper's toy, not a generic it belongs to anyone toy, he sees that people can make bad choices. And it makes him sad and confused. We were at a different park recently, and there was a line to get up a slide. There was a group of little girls who were maybe his age or a bit older, who had no problem just cutting in line in front of whomever they chose. And I could see Cooper working this one out in his head. That it is wrong for HIM to cut and not take turns, but somehow these girls didn't observe the same rules. But they should. You could see he thought that. And eventually one of their parents intervened to support that in fact, they should be waiting their turn, but it was interesting watching how he responded.

But seriously, the world has lost its mind, and I want someone to fix it. Maybe if we all just take that moment before doing something and ask "Is this a good choice" we might, one choice at a time, make a difference. Because let's be honest, I am probably not cut out for raising ALL my own food and living the Laura Ingalls Wilder lifestyle. I need the world I live in right now to be a better place.

5 comments:

Dproudmama said...

We just hope "they" stay away from our space. Always have been stupid/bad choices being made. Life seemed simpler - kinder in the 40's & 50's I think because we did not have access to the news that events such as you mentioned were happening. They were. People cut in lines, toys were taken etc. It is work to show a better way to our kids.

Audubon Ron said...

Three words, Reactive Attachment Disorder.

Chip said...

Life was NEVER easier. Ever. Statistics kept by law enforcement bear this out. Actually, things are absolutely brilliant and kind compared to 50 years ago.

We just never HEARD about the morons two counties away because... how would we? We just get to hear about all the stupid f'n morons from everywhere so we no longer have the luxury of believing it's better somewhere else. It ain't.

Crime stats show most violent crime is at the lowest EVER recorded. Full stop. Now however every cell phone has an idiot detector built in (video camera) and that 10 second news blurb becomes a 5 minute mind boggling visual assault on our understanding of how life is/ought to be. We are built to fear the freakish and scary. It keeps us alive. The nice and friendly doesn't kill you therefor you do not need to worry about it or pay attention to it.

Do what I do: don't watch the news. It's reality TV at the lowest common denominator.

Meg at the Members Lounge said...

MLM, it doesn't look as though the news is any better this week. But it *does* sound like Cooper has a lot of common sense for a 4 year old. Take heart you are raising him to be a good boy.

Oz said...

And then there's the horrible death of the student at Rutgers. Crazy is right. It keeps me up at night.