Where are the Karma Cops?
October 21, 2009 – 10:16 amI’m going to talk about the big pink elephant in the room. It seems as though there’s been a disturbing theme in the media lately that I can’t shake and I’m wondering if our WAHM readers feel that same way.
What is going on with kids and their parents? A few weeks ago a 15 year old boy was set on fire as a retaliatory move by a group of other boys. This occurred only 20 or 30 miles away from where I live so our local news media has inundated us with every hideous detail including hearing the child scream in the background on the 911 call. Five kids were arrested and are awaiting trial.
Next we were “entertained” by the mad adventures of the balloon boy and his insane father. Aside from the fact that this story is disturbing on so many levels, what really freaked me out was watching the six year-old, Falcon say on national television, “Who the hell is Wolf!?” when being introduced to Wolf Blitzer. I guess the karma cop was busting his family a few minutes later when he told Wolf the whole thing was “for the show.”
For me the final straw hit closer to home and made me really start questioning what is really going on at home with many of these kids. My son recently broke his leg during a skateboarding escapade. He is in a hip length cast, on crutches, but is making it work. He does his best to hobble around his 2,200 student middle school and has managed to keep his GPA despite being out with a broken leg then having the flu.
When I picked him up on Friday he seemed upset because an abundance of random students are taunting him for being in a cast and are calling him “cripple.” One student even came up to him and kicked his cast before shouting cripple.
As he was telling me this I was trying to pull into car line, gave the car behind me and smile and gestured if I could get in which was promptly met with an obscene gesture.
O.k., where are the karma police at this point? I have witnessed numerous acts of incredible kindness from strangers so I know that the world isn’t completely going to hell in a hand basket but is it me or does it seem like kids are being raised by The Family Guy and Call of Duty?
Are parents so busy trying to make ends meet that kids are falling by the wayside or do parents not care anymore?
So much anger coming from our smallest citizens. The child who was burned may survive but will never be the same again. What about the balloon boy? If my kid ever spoke that way, especially to an adult, he would be on “house arrest” for a considerable amount of time.
My children are by no means perfect. Remember, I’m the mother of the kid who glued his fingers together with Gorilla Glue on a $5 bet. However, it’s the anger and belligerence coming from children that is worrisome.
I guess that’s why I wouldn’t trade my work at home for an outside job. I could get a great job outside the home making more than double what I do right now. However, the fact that I can keep my finger on the pulse of what’s going on at home seems to be more valuable than having more money.
Understandably, we can’t all work from home. However, especially these days, the choice of less money but working from home seems more logical than ever. I would much rather be the one to teach my kids right from wrong than having Peter Griffin from the Family Guy do my job.
Side note: nothing against the show Family Guy. It’s funny…just not for anyone under age 18!
Gina Ragusa is a freelance writer and mom from sunny (and sometimes not) South Florida. Her 15 year experience ranges from writing about banking to tattoo parlors.
6 Responses to “Where are the Karma Cops?”
I must agree. It is getting out of hand and the medias attempt to sentsationalize everything for ratings is ruining our society. I’m sorry that your son had to incur such treatment.
By Scentsy - Katie Jones on Oct 26, 2009
Oh honey, I dooooo agree. I raised 4 boys now age 21 to 32, My children wouldnt have thought behaving the way some kids do now adays. Good God what has the world come to.
Family dynamics and communication (or lack thereof) along with the fact the self indulgence is the norm; has alot to do with how it got so bad. God help the Grandkids.
By christina foisey on Oct 30, 2009
this reality is really disturbing, but who is to blame?
what we can do is to give our own children the attention, discipline, and love that they need so that they would not do such things to others.
By sydneycontractor on Oct 31, 2009
I’m in the same boat as you guys. I’m a mother of freshmen in high school and I don’t understand the criminal behavior that is the main interest among their peers. The parents definitely are slacking.
I chose to be a stay at home mom for these reasons, but things are getting worse. I hold my breath every time I drop my son off because I always feel it could be him.
If anyone could please refer me to REAL stay at home job, my family would really appreciate it. I have background in court reporting
so I would prefer something in typing.
Thanks so much
By jeaney on Nov 2, 2009
I have an Autistic son who came home one day during his freshman year and asked what “retard” means. And a non-disabled “friend” said it. Unspeakable cruelty.
Even so, I think the best thing we can do is to focus on the kind people we see and ignore the others. Otherwise we just feed their negative energy.
I don’t mean to minimize the situation but I truly believe that you really hit it with the word “karma.” Focus on the good karma.
By Sandra on Nov 14, 2009
I’m a big believer in karma too but the thing is it can takes some time to come around and bite you back. Of course it works the other way too, the more deposits you make into the Karma bank the better things will be in your life.
So don’t fret too much they will get theirs.
Melinda
By Sensual Portraits on Jan 23, 2010