Anyone is welcome to submit a Guest Blog Entry to torontomike.com. I received the following submission earlier today.
With Christmas upon us once again it is necessary for us to reflect on the year gone by. It is not uncommon to wake up one morning and to learn of a stabbing, shooting or murder/suicide. It frightens one to realize there are so many mixed up and hurting people out there. What has gone wrong? How did this happen and can we as a society help those who are so confused and angry? What would be a first step in trying to correct the violence which begins firsthand in the home and then seems to filter outside and onto the streets of our society? Any suggestions on how we the simple man\woman can correct this could certainly be time well spent in the future of our children and grandchildren alike. (FOOD FOR THOUGHT)
These are some deep questions. Luckily, I have all the answers. Do you know what I blame this on the breakdown of? Society.
Seriously, I'm not used to such serious Guest Blog Submissions. I'm used to less deep subjects like the validity of The Bachelor or the acceptability of Blink 182 on SLS10. You're asking where we as a society went wrong and what we can do to correct this. Right off the top I disagree with your premise. For all of eternity there have been people in society who are confused and angry. This is not a new phenomena. People have been hurting others for no particularly good reason since before fire was discovered. Our society did not invent stabbings, murder-suicides or violence as a plague.
I do, however, agree with your suggestion that such actions can be prevented or at the very least minimized by instilling solid values in our children. If we raise our children to respect others and appreciate the reciprocal nature of this courtesy, we take the greatest step towards raising a child that won't turn to violence as a solution. Respect is of utmost important. Most violent acts occur because of a blatant disrespect for the victim or oneself. If we raise our children in an environment where no topic is taboo and no judgment will follow, we take a further step towards raising a child who won't react to confusion and anger in an unhealthy manner. Anger and confusion are inevitable emotions, but feeling comfortable enough to discuss these feelings and work them out with loved ones is a healthy way to decompress them. Respect for other people and a comfort to communicate anything and everything to one's parents are integral ingredients for a solid citizen. I'm working on both with James.
That's the best I've got. If anyone else has any suggestions as to how we can encourage a more peaceful society, I'm ready when you are. I also welcome rants about poor service from airlines and the over exposure of Beniffer.
