The other day, a friend of mine was looking at her phone with disgust and amazement. As I see her face and asked what she was watching, she turned her phone towards me to see a YouTube video of a live beheading. I was quick to think that it might have been fake because it was done with a knife and the man was too calm and not fighting for his life. Then I justified it by saying" well at least the first slice killed him almost instantly so the rest of it was just for the show." Then I thought..."My God, am I that desensitized that these are the thoughts I have?"
This lead me to really thinking about what our society had become. It appears as though technology and progress has reversed us and actually pushed us back on the evolutionary scale. More people are acting as animals. There is so much senseless violence and we have become indifferent to it.
Now before I get on my soapbox rant, please allow me to explain a little about myself, also as a sort of disclaimer.
I am a single mother with an intelligent, handsome 8 year old boy. I work roughly 70 hours a week most weeks and I'm so fortunate that my son's father and I agree very amicable...after all, isn't that how it should be? It's in the best interest of our child. I am independent and have become accustomed to relying on only myself. I make a decent living and provide for my little boy.
I remember when I grew up. Most of our days were spent outside. We went and knocked on people's doors to talk to them...you know, face to face, a real conversation, not just through text. There was no bad language on basic cable. Anything that was considered controversial, sexy, or violent wasn't on until after bedtime. Most moms stayed home and raised the children while our fathers worked and provided for the family. Kids weren't so apt to suicide, violence, teen pregnancies, etc... We were riding bikes not checking out weapons of mass destruction online. We were playing man hunt around the neighborhood instead of watching acts of terrorism on YouTube. We cringed at blood and guts and gore and shrieked at the thought of a painful death.
It seems that we had it so much better than our children today. Today's society is a mess. We live where both parents work and leave latchkey children with no supervision and the internet as a babysitter and educator. Our teachers have to deal with out of control children that they cannot reprimand, but parents are using them to raise their kids and considering them inept and blame them for the values our children are lacking due to an inadequate home life. Divorce is not only accepted but has almost become the norm. The middle class cannot make ends meet causing stress, dysfunction, tearing families apart. It seems like the only way to get by is to be either very rich or poor.
I feel that we should take a long hard look at what we have become. If we could only go back in time to the way we were. It's time to bring back family values, morality, ethics and stop trying to keep up with the Jones's so that we can simplify and try to get back to a society based upon the old thinking of the male being the provider, as he instinctively is, and the female being the caregiver, as she instinctively is. I'm not saying send the wifey back to the kitchen where she's barefoot and pregnant, but how about allowing mom and dad to be mom and dad and let us raise our children right. Let us not have such horrific sites so easily accessible. Let's put an end to the desensitization of our society in hopes that violent behavior will not be so easy for a person. Let's make our society less frustrated and keep the working class...every day America...able to make a decent life for their families. Happy people will lead to less violence and more morals. When you give someone nothing to lose, nothing matters, including other humans lives.
I fear for my son's future and have hopes that as long as I do my best to teach him well, that he may overcome the overwhelming odds that he will certainly face as he becomes a man.
Thank you.
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