The best way to go forward is to take a step back...

I know it's been awhile since I updated this page. I can't blame it all on switching to Night Shift at the paper, some of it is being lazy. I admit that. But who hasn't gone lazy when their schedule is changed?

But I must say I hope this new year brings everyone happiness, that we all rise above this smoke of economic crisis and look back knowing we did it. We made it out of there alive ... together.

But I'm not really going to talk about that. What I kinda want to talk about is prior to the new year, the greed, hatred and selfishness I've seen leading up to this point in time. And I wonder if anyone else noticed this too.

The television commercials becoming more violent towards holidays, traditions and religion. And then society wonders why children are becoming more and more aggressive. For example. Let's start with the best buy commercials, parents trying to shut Santa down. Santa, being an icon for children for centuries. I mean if you want to direct children's attention to the religious meaning of Christmas other than a simple saint's quest to bring happiness to children out of love. Then start teaching them the religious meanings of Christmas so they know instead of attacking icons.

As I filled my newspaper with children's letters to Santa. I noticed the aggression trickled through the regular "Dear Santa" letters asking for a toy. I found more and more threats to Santa than letters. One was in a co-worker's newspaper where a little girl basically tried to black mail Santa for the toy she wanted. I found a few in my paper where little boys have found and holding an elf hostage and threatening to kill the elf if Santa doesn't bring them what they ask for.

Did society wrong their children by filling their minds with an idea that only the great elf of the north can bring them what they want? Should we be concerned that while one little girl's only simple request is to tell Santa thank you in person for her gift no matter what it was, another little girl threatens to go to the south pole and set his house on fire if he doesn't bring her the correct doll she asked for?

Bad enough there's a lack of discipline going on period. Parent's afraid to tell a child no because some government agency may come take them away. Are we being held hostage by children now?

I was disciplined when I misbehaved and I didn't turn into a psychopathic-serial killer. I don't do drugs, may occasionally drink (at group gatherings) and curse like a sailor (so to speak) but I never once threaten to kill anyone that is outside of my gaming world.

I warn a kid in my neighborhood about the glass near the mailbox so he wouldn't step in it or hurt himself. And I get the middle finger. I see a mother in a motorized wheel chair and her kids running circles around her and breaking things in the store. When the clerk asked that they stopped, they cursed at her and run off.

I think we need to take a step back and start teaching discipline and truth before moving forward. What are your thoughts?