What happened ?

Being an observer in life has it's advantages, in the fact that I can watch the madness unfold from the sidelines. However I feel it also comes with a responsibility to report what I see, sort of philosophical journalist as it were. Looking back 30+ years ago seemed like such an innocent time. No computers, no cell phones, and cable TV was merely an experiment with a channel called "ON" TV for those who remember.<br> <br> <br> Being a child in those days meant curfew was when the street lights came on, playing kick the can and baseball. Star Wars was the greatest film of all time and finding a lawn mower engine to fix for a go cart was considered the holy grail in the neighborhood. <br> <br> I can't recall anyone being medicated for depression or any attention disorder. I don't remember kids wanting to kill their teachers or students or wanting blow up their school. I do remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school and can still do it just as well today.<br> <br> <br> Fast forward 30+ years, we have cable with hundreds of channels of crap to keep us complacent. Cell phones that keep us in touch with people we don't want to hear from in the first place and computers that allow us to scour through the seemingly endless piles of digital garbage in the world.<br> <br> <br> Kids no longer play outside all day like I once did, they are to busy being consumers. They are to engrossed in their voluntary training by corporate America. They want game consoles and cell phones and any other blinking beeping electronic trinket that the TV tells them they need. We allow them to be trained by these corporations, we allow them to be programmed as we are programmed ourselves. <br> <br> We try very hard to give them what they ask for because that's what a good parent does. We medicate them at an early age because there hyper or depressed or obese or diabetic. We give them access to the digital world and all it has to offer good and bad at a very young age. <br> <br> By the time they reach puberty they know of greed, hate, violence, drugs, sex, racism, consumerism, capitalism, and a plethora of other offerings from Pandora's box, and that Pledge of Allegiance I happily spoke for years in school is a foreign and silent song to them. <br> <br> So realistically speaking, why the dramatic and frightening change in our youth ? our future ? <br> Is it the marvel of our technology or the misguided implementation of it ? <br> I tend to think the latter, but then again I am just an observer Your thoughts ?

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Eric Nolan Date: 12/1/2009 6:08:00 PM Ah Vince always a breath of fresh air, you raised some excellent points. Most of all accountability, that one trait we lack as a country and a society. It's always someone else's fault plain and simple. It's infected every aspect of our lives and is strangely enough rewarded. Maybe 2012 isn't such a stretch, realistically this course were on can't last forever. As always thanks for your input. Login to Reply

Eric Nolan Date: 12/1/2009 6:01:00 PM I agree with you Veronica, it's a sad state of affairs and only getting worse sorry to say. Login to Reply

Eric Nolan Date: 12/1/2009 5:58:00 PM I read 1963 Danielle and a lot of the ideas were similar good to know like minded people are out there. Thank you Login to Reply

Eric Nolan Date: 12/1/2009 5:57:00 PM Interesting points Patricia, thank you for your input. Login to Reply

Vince Suzadail Jr. Date: 12/1/2009 5:14:00 PM Always interesting, Eric. We don't hold people responsible for their actions. If we don't want to, we don't have to work. Our liberals will send a check every month and when we run out of free stuff, we'll just steal someone else's. We don't have to raise our kids, just medicate them if they get out of hand and apply for bigger benefits. Of course the people who actually need the help don't qualify. We pay criminal athletes more than leaders, doctors, teachers and put them above the law. Society as a whole is f---ed up. The judicial system is a joke. Jackasses have more class than our politicians (and smell better). Political correctness has taken over for common sense. Big government tells us prayer and patriotism are wrong and we should be kissing terrorist a-s. There's nothing wrong with our kids. It's the A--hole adults who are screwing them up. As for me, it is ONE NATION "UNDER GOD". If the liberals don't like it they can pucker up and kiss me where the sun don't shine. Login to Reply

Veronica Joseph Date: 12/1/2009 12:08:00 PM Parents don't parent anymore, they turn their backs, let their kids drink, do drugs, even provide drugs, do not provide structure and values, do not require responsibility in a job or chores. Its so easy to turn away and let someone else parent your child. I have parented many of these "turn aways" in my own home over the years. And due to a difficult personal situation I was a single parent for several years. Technology is a tool, to be used with responsibility. In my town I see parents hosting and providing alcohol for their high school kids. I see parents allowing 15 and 16 year olds to have sex in their homes. There are no boundaries set - it takes too much trouble! Its work to parent, a lot of work, almost all your time for the rest of your life. That's where the trouble lies. Login to Reply

Veronica Joseph Date: 12/1/2009 12:07:00 PM I have been an enthusiastic patriot since I was a small child and always knew what the words to the pledge of allegiance meant, and I always felt proud to say it and to be American. This tradition continues in my family. Login to Reply

Danielle White Date: 12/1/2009 12:05:00 PM Many of my poems deal with this very issue.(ie, my poem titled 1963)***Danielle*** Login to Reply

Eric Nolan Date: 12/1/2009 9:48:00 AM So if I understand you correctly Deborah your saying Nationalism and Religion cause war and death ? Hmm I thought politicians caused war and what you call Nationalism I call Patriotism. Perhaps the point of my blog wasn't clear. I was referring to the misguided implementation of technology as a possible cause of the decay of our youth. Saying the Pledge of Allegiance in my youth was merely a fond and proud memory for me and instilled pride in my country but it was not the focal point of the blog. If I mislead you then I offer apologies. I never have felt "brainwashed" for loving my country. Login to Reply

Debbie Guzzi Date: 12/1/2009 9:32:00 AM I think the saying or not saying of a "Pledge of Allegiance" by children who don't even understand the words or the concepts to which they are at an early age "brainwashed" into giving up there soon to be "adult" lives is a farce. Nationalizm & Religion cause War & death. Light & Love PS We still say the "Pledge" in my town they even TRY to force foriegn exchange students to recite it. Login to Reply

Eric Nolan Date: 12/1/2009 7:40:00 AM Thank you Linda for taking a walk down memory lane with me. Login to Reply