[stylist] stylist Digest, Vol 81, Issue 21

[Kerry Thompson]

Judith, involvement is the key. It never ceases to astound me how many 
parents aren't involved, don't know what's going on in their kids' 
lives. Of course, as kids, that's what we want, our parents just to butt 
out and leave us alone. But a good parent, or maybe I should say one 
with good parenting skills, knows how to strike the balance. For 
instance, I have twin cousins who are two years older than me. It wasn't 
till they were seniors in high school that my aunt cottoned onto the 
fact that they couldn't read. I mean, like, hello! My parents always 
knew what we were doing in school, what our homework was, when big 
projects needed to be in by, and they made sure we did it. They didn't 
ride us, they weren't obnoxious about it, they just kept abreast of 
things. And, Mum was always on top of our health, and whether we were 
acting normally or seemed to be in some kind of trouble. Seems to  me, 
that's what being a parent is all about, the job description. But, so 
many people seem to think that all they have to do is produce the kid, 
and society, the schools, some vague somebody else has responsibility 
from there on out. And it just doesn't work.  Children need to be looked 
after by some specific somebody, be that Mama and Daddy, Gramma, Mrs. 
Macarthy across the hall, somebody they know will always be there 
looking out for them.

Oh, I shouldn't even get started. Gotta go get supper anyway, 
fortunately. Otherwise, I'd rant till the cows come home. *wry grin*

Kerry

On 1/13/2011 7:06 PM, Judith Bron wrote:
> Kerry, I agree with you.  I don't remember  when it happened, but at 
> least in New York State the government opened the doors of the mental 
> institutions and told the residents to go their own way.  The reason 
> given was that they couldn't continue to hold people against their 
> will.  I agree with part of that, but what if the person was too ill 
> or unstable to be let back into society?  Yes, we can't hold people 
> against their will, but what if that tperson is a danger to him or 
> herself and society in general?  These are not easy questions to 
> answer.  I think that when college professors, teachers, parents and 
> others involved with a youngster see that the person is a danger to 
> himself and others, there must be a plan to institutionalize the 
> person and get him or her the help needed to re-enter society.  Thanks 
> Kerry, Judith
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kerry Thompson" 
> <kethompson1964 at gmail.com>
> To: <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 6:10 PM
> Subject: Re: [stylist] stylist Digest, Vol 81, Issue 21
>
>
>> Judith, your piece is reasoned and calm.
>>
>> I am what might be described as a Left Wing Democrat. Yet, I agree 
>> with you completely that the leap on the part of some to blame the 
>> Tea Party in general and Sarah Palin's hatred-filled rhetoric in 
>> particular for the act of a demonstrably disturbed young man was 
>> premature at best. We don't know whether politics in the conventional 
>> sense played a part here, and we may never know.
>>
>> As a fervent Lefty, I could wish that this terrible occurrence leads 
>> to the tightening of gun laws. But, I think we can all agree in 
>> hoping that at last, after Virginia Tec, after Columbine, after 
>> seemingly countless instances over a good decade and a half of 
>> children and young people with social problems and demonstrated 
>> mental instability trying to solve their problems by mass murder, our 
>> society will formulate a plan to identify, help and protect 
>> youngsters with such problems. Doing so is not only the morally right 
>> thing to do. As is becoming increasingly obvious, it is also a matter 
>> of national security.
>>
>> Kerry
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org 
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> stylist:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jbron%40optonline.net 
>>
>>
>
>
>