At what point do you begin to take responsibility for your own actions?

As I read the newspapers and watch the news (and look out of my window) I seem to be asking myself more and more... When do we as human beings begin to take responsibility for our own actions?

I watch as CEOs of fortune 500 companies and banks are looking for government handouts to stay afloat... yet these self same companies/and banks saw no issue with sending jobs and aspects of their operations overseas to save themselves a couple of bucks? So now they are begging the government to use the taxes of United States Citizens to keep them afloat... when times were good you helped out how? Not to mention their gross mismanagement of funds to allow executives lavish lifestyles!

I am so sick of American auto makers complaining that there companies are no longer financially solvent because of foreign auto makers... So when did you realize that the competition was creating cars that actually lasted for more than a year before needing major repairs, got better gas mileage and more value for the consumers dollar?

I watch the republican party bitch and moan about how they feel President Obama should allow their party to have more of a say on issues such as budgeting, how to fix the economy, health care... Yet when the republican party had the helm they essentially sent our country to hell in a hand basket!

In all of these cases (looking at it from at least my standpoint) all of these issues are self inflicted by those involved.

If you have been following my Blog you probably note that I have a low tolerance for people who by their actions or by their speech step into a pile of shit and then take the position that it is not their fault... Somehow it is the fault of society that they have done or said something and the strange thing is that the biggest group of people that see no reason to accept responsibility for their actions or lack of action are (Drum Roll Please) PARENTS!

TV and movies need to be monitored and at times censored because you as a parent refuse to monitor what your child watches or goes to see!

Some parent groups feel that video games should be monitored or pulled because you gave your child 60 bucks and told them to buy whatever they want because you could not take the time to monitor his or her purchases.

There are even parent groups that feel that the Internet should be controlled by the government because their children's safety is at risk... simple solution... monitor your children's net access do not censor mine! I agree, in today's technologically advanced society there are more things to be careful and aware of, however that does not diminish your responsibility as a parent much less pass that responsibility on to me by censoring my access to TV Movies Video Games Music and Internet access as an adult!

It makes no sense to hear a mother on TV who has lost a child in the mall under the age of ten plead into the camera "someone had to see him/her!" And it is a sad thing to have a child harmed or kidnapped or hurt or even lost and scared! But you as a parent know that the world is a bad place with bad people and you know that your child may be the type that doesn't listen well or likes to break away from your grasp... Knowing these things wouldn't you take a more active role in watching your child even more closely? Especially in a place like a shopping mall? Why would you assume that someone else is watching out for YOUR child? I would be rich if I could have a dime for every time I have seen a child walking away from their mother while mom is looking at a dress or blouse and I have told the little tyke "you need to be standing next to your mommy" some mothers will thank me others will just proceed to chastise the child and go back to whatever it is they were doing.

And its not just the little ones! Parents seem to be signing off on their teens and tween as well!

How many news reports have you seen where the evils of the Internet are put to blame for the exploitation of a teen or tween? How many parents groups feel that myspace and twitter and facebook are a nesting place for predators and pedophiles? How many parent groups are out there actively trying to get these sites shut down?

Now how many of these parents are saying that they actually monitor what their teen or tween is doing online?!?!?

The usual excuse is that they (the parent/s) do not understand the technology so they do not have the ability to monitor what their child is doing!

So peeping in their room to see what they have on the screen takes how much technical know how? Or placing their computer in a public area of your home you need a degree in computer science?

Bad people have always existed in the world even before home computers became popular and they depend on the fact that someone somewhere is not watching their child!

To bring this to a point of reference with my last blog post (They are watching you! Really! They are!)... The more you tell government to interfere and pick up the slack the more you are letting them invasde and control your life!

The parental advisory stickers on music CDs and DVDs are placed to allow "you" the parent to decide whether or not to let your child purchase that movie or album! If you are not in the store with your child why would you expect the clerk to decide whether or not your child should be able to make this purchase! Its really not called a "clerk advisory"!

And don't get me started on video games! My sons will be turning 17 and they still have not played any version of grand theft auto! But that is because I decided that the subject matter was not conducive to them as teenagers... some parents would say that my choice to let them play Mortal Kombat should bear some scrutiny! However I monitor their play and AS A PARENT if I would see that game play was morphing into reality I would ban that game as well! I would not wait for someone else to decide that for me! Or if my sons tried to perform a fatality on someone... I would not blame the game! At the end of the day I allowed them to buy it and play it!

However I am sure that I will never have to worry about being on the news blaming some sort of media for something that my children have done since I realize that media did not raise or teach my children!

How many news reports must we see about some tragedy before we realize that responsibility for our children in the end rests with us as parents!

How can you in all honesty blame hip hop for your child selling drugs? especially when you know he/she has a 52 inch plasma TV in his room that you didn't buy? When is it your responsibility to step in?

Why blame the Paris Hilton's, Pinks, Britney Spears' and the Amy Winehouse's for your Daughters behaviour? When do you as a parent begin to be your child's idol or at the least explain value systems? When buying her that micro mini skirt to wear to that club you know she is not old enough to be in... really isn't the best time!

If you do not take the time to explain sex to your teen and integrate some sort of safety factor or some values that your child should have especially in today's world how can you blame the media, society or much less the school system when your child becomes pregnant or a father or catches a disease? How can you with any conscious in today's world leave such a task in the hands of any one else?

As parents we have a responsibility to our children

The days of electronic babysitting need to come to an end!

We actually have to begin showing our children by example what we expect from them as young adults and children!

We also really need to start choosing our battles especially those we fight in front of our children!

Going up to school to damn near kill a teacher because your child is failing especially failing because of his or her not doing the work and or studying... may not be relaying the correct message to your child... Me? If you do not study or do not do your work in school I am not blaming the teacher I am blaming my child and reviewing how I approach my children's school work... meaning I will probably ride him or her even harder to let him or her know how important their education is to me as a 'parent'.

In reality what mindset do we create when we show our children that by yelling and threatening you can bypass doing what is expected of you? When your child becomes an adult how will he address similar issues in the work place?

Who do you say is to blame when you foster and perpetuate bad behaviour with the thinking that the ends justify the means? And you do this in front of your child? disregard for peoples feelings, racism, violent behaviour, lack of respect, greed, hate, these are not things that people magically wake up with as part of their personality! it is something that has been nurtured and reinforced as they grow into adulthood!  

My grandmother always said that "you can not buy love" and may god rest her soul but she was right on so many different levels!

Many of us may have not had the most wonderful childhood however as adults we realize that we want more for our children... we want the things that as children we did not have and looking back with the nostalgic eye of our mind we think that our lives might have been better if we had this thing or the other thing... So as adults sometimes we go out of our way to buy our sons and daughters whatever they want, we buy them everything they ask for and give them little bribes if they do what we say. (?).

children however do get used to this, and the way the economy is going I can guarantee there are quite a few children across America throwing a temper tantrum because mommy and daddy cannot really afford to get those $200 sneakers or that video game console that your child just has to have! 

Again, Me? I see no problem for rewarding a child for a job exceedingly well done especially those times when they break the bar and go beyond my expectations! However, I cannot see myself rewarding my child for doing what is expected! Once again if you fast forward that child's life into their adulthood how will they react when they are not given a reward for what is essentially expected?

In the end (and basically because I am probably typing too much!) There is really no greater gift that can be bestowed on a human being than being able to bring a new life in the world... but there comes a great responsibility as well! As parents we must think on almost a cause and effect pattern and install into our children the ability to be responsible and give thought to their actions. We cannot control the actions of our children when they are not within our immediate sight however, we can be comforted in the fact that we showed them by example and teaching what it is we expect from them.

By passing responsibility for the raising of our children to the government, the schools, the media, entertainers, the television set and anyone else we think should pick up the burden we are not really being responsible parents and when our future turns out to be less than what we expected in the end you are going to have to ask yourself... 

At what point do you begin to take responsibility for your own actions?

As always you input is very important! Do you think i am right or completely out in left field?

Comment back or call into the GL line and leave your thoughts! 

Skype us at Ghettologic or call 718.577.1037