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Thursday, July 10, 2008

What happens next?

When I was a kid, I never had to think twice about not touching property that wasn't my own. From the time I was very young, it was drilled into my head that it was absolutely unacceptable to venture on someone else's property or touch property belonging to someone else, unless I had their direct permission.
I'm obviously grown now, but those teachings have stuck with me, influenced me, and are now being handed down to my children. My daughter knows that she is not allowed to touch another child's toy or go onto the property of any of our neighbors unless she was specifically invited to.

But so many kids are missing this crucial lesson. A prime example is the neighborhood where my grandfather's home is at. Twice this year his flood lights have been shattered, and I know that it's irritating, misbehaving kids or even teens that are responsible for it. My mom and I make attempts to drive by and check on the home at least twice a week, but unfortunately we've never caught the jerk(s) in the act.

Sometimes I really worry about how the children of today and tomorrow are being raised. So many parents don't want to crack down on their kids for the basic things -- such as staying off the property of others, not vandalizing or trespassing, etc. If these little but common sense things are being overlooked, what does that say for the big things?

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