Thursday, October 12, 2006

Thomas addresses school violence issue

Syndicated columnist Cal Thomas offers his thoughts on the recent wave of school shootings in his most recent column, and as usual, he makes some strong points:

The media won't change and government isn't about to make them change, other than imposing fines for broadcasting certain vulgar words. So the task falls upon the parents. Get rid of the TV, or at least prohibit children from watching violent shows. Don't allow violent and crude music in your home. Don't divorce, which causes children to feel abandoned and become angry. Stop aborting babies, because if human life is seen as cheap and disposable at its early stages, we lose a moral argument for preserving it at later stages.


Talking about school violence is not a bad thing. Doing the tough things that will reduce it is better. Abandoning the notion that parents should be "friends" with their children would help, along with the investment of quantity time in their lives. But that would require major changes in many households that now put building wealth ahead of building character.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

So...hey!
So there was this whole school shooting at Joplin H.S. tomorrow rumor going around the entire school body and faculty, and parents were calling in and everything saying how they didn't want their children getting shot, and I mean, it was even circulating in TEXT MESSAGES. How dumb, right? Well, now people are posting bulletins on myspace about not wanting to go to school tomorrow because they're scared. Honestly, the whole thing is dumb. Second, isn't it funny how it takes things actually happening to people for people to act on it?
Like, how it took an actual shooting to happen for the security to crack down on the possible issue? That's why it happens in the first place. And now that it already has, it won't again. Now, all that's going to happen is dumb teenagers are going to get all freaked out over absolutely nothing.
On the bright side, SAW III comes out soon!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry Randy, but the day I need help from someone like Cal Thomas to raise kids is the day they can put me in the funny farm.

Don't divorce? He completely ignores the issue of domestic violence and what it does to children. Personally, I think ongoing domestic violence is far more harmful to children than filing for divorce.

Abortion as a cause for violent children? I'm sorry, but I don't agree.

And I view that last sentence as a slap at working mothers. That implies that working mothers are working outside the home not because they have to, but because they're greedy. For the majroity of us that's completely false.

Thomas is using this issue as an excuse to throw his favorite red herrings out there.

Anonymous said...

"It doesn't take a village to raise a child." That is possibly one of the biggest lies republicans have come up with to date.

If "it doesn't take a village" was true, we would have no need for teachers, no need for pastors, rabbis or whatever form your belief system takes, no need for police, no need for doctors, no need for neighbors, no need for friends who listen to you complain till you can see the funny side about your child's latest antics and start laughing. When you stop and really think about it the lie hiding behind "it doesn't take a village" is obvious.

I tend to believe that when marriages fall apart, most people probably get a divorce rather than become violent. You ARE aware of the fact that the media recently had an article on the very high rate of domestic violence right here in Southwest Missouri. Right?

Funny that you talk about valuing life... How do the cuts to medicaid and medicare fit into valuing lives? How does the refusal to pursue every possibility of a cure for the sick become valuing life? Some of us can see through that kind of circle talk also.

You want mom to stay home with the kids? Let me tell you a little secret. Most moms would like that too. Unfortunately, most moms can't afford it.

It's really fascinating to watch republicans beat up one set of moms for working while their children are small while pushing another set of moms (Are they and their children less worthy; less worthwhile?) out the door without any help for childcare.

Working moms in 5000 square foot houses? I don't think I know any of them. How many do you know?