In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Two families are having to go through the pain of losing loved ones. In one case, a young man was going to commit suicide and confronted police with a rifle. In the end, Police were forced to shoot the man. Admittedly i think they were excessive in the amount of shots fired but I feel the man knew what he was doing and wanted the police to basically do an assisted suicide. In the other case a 15 year old teen with a gun reportedly shot at a car. When confronted by the police he was shot in the back as he ran. Shot in the back I admit bothers me but only slightly in this case.
Why did a fifteen year old have a gun in the first place and how did he get it bothers me much more. More than that, why weren't the parents more involved in this young mans life? Call me over protective of my kids, but I plan to know where my kids are, who they are with, whats in their room and whats in their backpacks. I will be a parent involved in every aspect of my kids lives until the day they move out of my house to embark on life as an adult. Will they be perfect? No. No person is. I don't expect them to be. They are kids and they will make mistakes. They will have to face consequences for those mistakes and hopefully learn from them. Meanwhile I will be there to help them through it. I wont hold their hand through out their teenage life, but I will be there to grab them back and say "That's not happening because you are better than that." when they head towards a wrong path. Once they are adults, I have to hope and pray I have done my job well enough in raising them that they will be successful and in turn be a real father to their kids. Regardless of what age they are, I will always be there for them to come to for help or a shoulder to lean or cry on. I'm their dad. Its my job and my honor to do it.
You know I sympathize with families that have lost someone, but why were these people that lost their lives in that position in the first place? If you don't take an active role in your kids lives when they are young, do you really expect them to do well when they get older? Be there for them. Tell them what you think. Punish them when they do something wrong. Make them face their problems head on. Know where they are and what they are doing. Teach them how to be individuals that don't have to run with a gang. Yeah its hard. Yes its bothersome. However, they didn't ask to be brought into this world. You brought them into it so take care of your children and quit expecting everyone else to do YOUR job. it is not the school's, police, churches or neighbors job to raise YOUR kids. Its yours! If you cant do that, dont have children or get sterilized where you cant. Simple as that. Dont bring a child into this world you arent prepared to be a parent to.
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Comments: 24
As far as the movies and TV thing, I agree. back in the 70's and before fathers were always this big hero to their kids. Shows like Gidget and My Three Sons highlighted that. When divorce rates went up in the 80s things like that changed in entertainment. Not that I mind moms being viewed as heros. I would love to pin a medal on alot of the mothers I know.
I believe many of us had the dad from That Seventies Show. Not warm and fuzzy, but he stayed around and lived up to his responsibilities.
I see it so frequently, very young children left to roam around unsupervised. I see them in stores, wandering around by themselves & in the streets and sidewalks, with no one around. Iam am talking toddler/preschool age kids. I drives me insane. I not only worry for those kids, but my daughter, who will be their peer.
I have been know to loudly annouce in stores "Where is this child's mother ?". Usually, a frantic mom or dad pops up fast, but sadly a couple times, no one or a sibling barely older than them appears to fetch the youngster.
The time no one showed after my "announcement", the child went with my daughter and I too a store employee, who paged the parent. We hung out with the little boy and the clerk. I figured another toddler around, would make him feel better. The store called the police after no one claimed this child after about 10 minutes, by this point several people were involved. Officers arrived just as the, skanky looking mom made her appearance. As I was leaving, the officers began questioning her sobriety.
I is very sad how bad some people suck at being a parent.
lol I used to follow them around at Chucky Cheese and a child cant leave unless a parent that has their stamp is with them. Yeah I am a Rooster. I want to know where my flock is at all times..lol
Not every child has a loving parent... not every parent has the support needed to do it right.
I am glad you are a caring parent. Not all parents are
What makes me sad is how hard they make it for parents to adopt a kid. When i was adopted my father was making about 150 to 200 a week working for the railroad. these days it seems a 6 figure income or close to it is what is required to adopt a child. The couple that used to live next door to us tried for almost 5 years before they were able to finally adopt. The father was a police officer that also taught at the Police academy training cops to be SWAT and his wife was a public school teacher. the owned the house they lived in and the cars they drove and still the hoops were too high and plans fell through via the agency time and time again for this or that requirement. Maybe its time to start looking at how much love potential parents can provide as well as stability.
I admire you Linda. I look at your youngest and can only pray that as mine grow up they take example from her. Ask my son. We have read the articles on her and her accomplishments and talked about how hard it will be but that it is possible for him to do anything if he sets his mind to it. I dont know who was more impressed with your daughter. Him or me. He has goals and stories like yours give him motivation to work hard.
I dont think I am a very good dad but people tell me I am. Its hard to see things from the inside. Not every kid is going to be the great success we hope them to be. We are going to have disappointments. People are going to hurt them and we are going to be the ones to pick up the pieces, tell them its going to be alright, only to see them pull something boneheaded. Raising children is alot like the infinity symbol. No matter how small it is drawn it still goes on forever which means we have plenty of time to help them get it right as long as we dont give up on them.
You're right, do the best you can, always as a parent and hope like crazy that they'll make their own right decisions when they're grown, and if they don't? Love them always, but know that you did do your best.
Marilyn
We got in trouble here and there, but we never disrepected a firearm.
No guns now, not much point.
Nice rant, I'm agree.