Re: What is wrong with parents!!!!!!

From: Sharon Hushka (sharynh@earthlink.net)
Date: Tue Jun 01 1999 - 14:21:47 EDT


Too often people get caught up, in what I call, the "blame" game. Where
there is all this finger pointing, but not enough accountability.

The easiest target to blame when kids do something wrong is parents.
Then schools' are blamed. Then the culture is blamed. And so on.

Instead of the blame game, perhaps we should engage in the practice of
accountability. Responsibility should be taken by each part and
participant in each situation. The difference between the blame game and
accountability, is a shift in each player assuming there is something she/he can
do to learn from, to change, or to make a positive difference.

Using your example of the students who built pipe bombs and the father's
defensive response, the student is responsibile for building the pipe bomb. The
father (and mother) is responsible for not being aware of what his son is doing.
He's also responsible for his attitude towards accepting a culture such that he
believes it is okay to build bombs and for assuming his son wouldn't use the
bomb. Whether the son would have or wouldn't have is a separate issue.

Others also responsible are other parents, school personnel, media,
entertainment, gun manufacturers, gun enthusiasts, gun promoters, and many more.

The point is instead of pointing fingers, each of us needs to assume we
are responsibile and then do something about it.

Sharon Hushka
sharynh@earthlink.net



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