Just a little something to chew on

I got another one of those e-mails that you are supposed to pass on but instead, I thought I would post it here and see what your thoughts are about this:

Dear God:

Why didn't you save the school children at ?.

Virginia Tech 04/16/07

Amish Country, PA

Wisconsin

Columbine High School

Moses Lake , Washington 2/2/96

Bethel , Alaska 2/19/97!

Pearl , Mississippi 10/1/97

West Paducah , Kentucky 12/1/97

Stam! p, Arkansas 12/15/97

Jonesboro , Arkansas 3/24/98

Edinboro , Pennsylvania 4/24/98

Fayetteville , Tennessee 5/19/98

Springfield , Oregon 5/21/98

Richmond , Virginia 6/15/98

Littleton , Colorado 4/20/99

Taber , Alberta , Canada 5/28/99

Conyers , Georgia 5/20/99

Deming , New Mexico 11/19/99

Fort Gibson , Oklahoma 12/6/99

Santee , California 3/ 5/01 and

El Cajon , California 3/22/01?

Sincerely,

Concerned Student

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Reply:

Dear Concerned Student:

I am not allowed in schools.

Sincerely,

God

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How did this get started?...

-----------------

Let's see,

I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare complained

she didn't want any prayer in our schools.

And we said, OK..

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Then ,

someone said you better not read the Bible in school,

the Bible that says

"thou shalt! not kill,

thou shalt not steal,

and love your neighbors as yourself,"

And we said, OK...

-----------------

Dr. Benjamin Spock said

we shouldn't spank our children

when they misbehaved

because their little personalities

would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem.

And we said,

an expert should know what he's talking about

so we won't spank them anymore..

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Then someone said

teachers and principals better not

discipline our children when they misbehave.

And the school administrators said

no faculty member in this school

better touch a student when they misbehave

because we don't want any bad publicity,

and we surely don't want to be sued.

And we accepted their reasoning...

------------------

Then someone said,

let's let our daughters have abortions if they want,

and they won't even have to tell their parents.

And we said, that's a grand idea...

------------------

Then some wise school board member said,

since boys will be boys

and they're going to do it anyway,

let's give our sons all the condoms they want,

so they can have all the fun they desire,

and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school.

And we said, that's another great idea...

------------------

Then some of our top elected officials said

it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs.

And we said,

it doesn't matter what anybody,

including the President,

does in private as long as we have jobs and the economy is good....

------------------

And someone else took that appreciation a step further

and published pictures of nude children

and then stepped further still by

making them available on the Internet.

And we said, everyone's entitled to free speech....

------------------

And the entertainment industry said,

let's make TV shows and movies that promote

profanity, violence and illicit sex...

And let's record music that encourages

rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes...

And we said,

it's just entertainment

and it has no adverse effect

and nobody takes it seriously anyway,

so go right ahead.

------------------

Now we're asking ourselves

why our children have no conscience,

why they don't know right from wrong,

! and why it doesn't bother them to

kill strangers, classmates or even themselves.

------------------

Undoubtedly,

if we thought about it long and hard enough,

we could figure it out.

I'm sure it has a great deal to do with...

"WE REAP WHAT WE SOW,"
------------------

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OK so here's my thing 90% of this I agree with. (I'm going to get into trouble again lol) I don't even want to hear about blaming kid's violence on music and movies. Sorry, nope, not even rap music. I grew up listening to AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne (remember him and the bat head incident?) Led Zeppelin, Queen (talking about their naughty Nanny) and countless others. None of it made me kill anyone or abuse children. IMHO the end result is that it comes down to parental guidance. BALANCE your children people. Is it easy.... HELL NO (please excuse my brashness but I feel it appropriate) I am up my son's butt 24/7. He's 14, most of his friends are what society has designated "Troubled" Guess what? Most of my experiences with all of them has been nothing but pleasant. Some of them even go out of their way for me. Know why? I respect them, I don't judge them and I NEVER lie to them. Above all, I LISTEN to them. I compare it to when I was their age and remember how it was. I always say "Everything for a reason" so maybe my growing up in Brooklyn, having to literally fight every week was because of what my Children would have to endure now. I can't save them all, probably will be lucky to save one from what I see coming. Charles and one of his friends were heading out to the mall and then sleeping over at his house. I said to them on their way out "Be careful and don't get into any trouble" Charles' friend said to me "Come on Mom (yes he calls me Mom lol) I've been good, I'm off probation and my grades are up" My reply was "Being off probation doesn't mean that you haven't done anything wrong, it just means you didn't get caught, remember who you're talking to" This particular child comes from a financialy secure family but parent wise I am torn, everytime the kid breathes sideways the father calls the police on him. If he wants the kid to come home he calls him and says that the police are at the door looking for him, not only is that nerve wracking to a child but it doesn't exactly build up trust. When I say something, my children know it's the truth because I don't lie. My kids are not perfect (if they were I would be very worried) nor are my parenting skills but NOWHERE did it say that being a parent was going to be easy. It takes time and effort to raise a child. SPEND real time with them, LISTEN to them - even if you don't agree with them it doesn't make what they are saying any less important - especially to them. KNOW their friends, don't listen to other people and their opinions, get to know the child yourself. Just one adult paying attention to them might be all it takes to help them make the right choices. Do you know how many families don't even eat dinner together anymore? We are the only family I know of that still eats together. How many children are up on their computers all night because they are alone? How many kids are left alone for days while their parents go out of town and on trips and leave them home because they are 15 or older? I know of a 10 year old that is alone everyday from 3:00 when he gets home until 6:30 pm and sometimes 8:00. 10 YEARS OLD. Child Care is a whole other issue - it was $1,000 a month for summer camp for my two boys. Get a single Mother working 40 Hours a week for $9 or $10 an hour..... after taxes .... do the math.... and don't give me that assistance from the government shtick either cause I was one of those Mothers and guess what? GOOD LUCK getting the assistance.

So anyway, as Mother's Day approaches, I think it's time to look inward. Do you spend time with your children? Do you know what worries them? Do you know who their friends are? REALLY know? Do you teach your children values and right from wrong? Most importantly, do you put their real needs before yours? I don't mean do they have the newest IPod or kicks (sneakers), do they know they are loved and that what they say and feel are important? If you can answer Yes then HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY -- you deserve it!! If not.... well then...................... it's never too late ;)