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AKaeTrue · Apr 17, 2007, 10:06 AM

All these school and collage shootings (among other places), all the irresponsible sale of weapons and firearms. Plus, the lack of metal detectors and law enforcement within these places...

Child abductions, I cannot let my children play outside for one second alone in the front yard because of the fear they'll get taken. I have to be like a mother grizzly bear at all times.

Rape

Those are just a few, can't even list them all, too depressing, makes me sick to my stomach.

WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TOO??

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE?

AND, WHY ISN'T IT BEING DONE?

Because it seriously seems like things are just getting worse...

Confuzzledmonkey · Apr 17, 2007, 10:15 AM

Believe it or not there will never be a "perfect" safe place, where do you live? And how old are your children? Let your children play outside and if your nervous go with them, the problems are not that huge, just nowadays when it does happen they are publicised hugely making it seem like it will happen everywere. Yes they are problems but you should not stop your children from having fun because of slomething that has a 1% chance of happening.

While they are not great things that happen but they bring a dose of reality and if they were not publicised then nobody would know how to be safe and when sometihng bad happens they can't cope.

AKaeTrue · Apr 17, 2007, 10:25 AM

I know that "perfect place" doesn't exist. Wish it did though
I live in the states, one of the top five for crime, but it's not just here, it's everywhere.
I do go with my kids outside and make them come in with me even if I'm just running in to do something that only takes a minute.

I remember being able to ride my bike around my neighborhood w/o my mother when I was a kid.
My mother didn't have to worry about sending me to school.

I don't know, I think it's worse now days.

i.e. Yes they bring a dose of reality, so I wonder why schools, colleges and other places don't use metal detectors and other means to keep people safe... Since they know it can happen...

magprob · Apr 17, 2007, 01:45 PM

And they wonder why kids are fat and lazy. They sit indoors and play video and computer games all day. Have some more cheetos and hot pockets. When I was a kid, I got up and left at sunrise. I climbed trees, explored canyons, caught lizzards and snakes and polywogs and walked probably 10 miles each day in the summer. I had a secret fort where we chewed tobacco and threw up. Where did all the wierdos come from that pray on children these days? Does it have something to do with illegal drugs? Like Meth?

Fr_Chuck · Apr 17, 2007, 02:20 PM

They were always there, the "funny" uncle no one really talked about, the old man by the railroad. But there was no tracking, there is little help and very little arrests because it was hard to prove and most departments had ( and a lot still don't) have anyone specially trained for this.

I can remember in high school, about 1/2 of us had guns in our trucks or cars, shotguns or hunting rifles because a lot of us went hunting after school but having them there was normal. In science class the teacher wanted to open a package, and I remember about 10 or so of us had large pocket knives we offered to the teacher.

And of course today we have better news, if a 10 year old boy was missing in NY no one in MO would ever hear about it,

The world was not safe even back then, but a lot was just not spoken about.

krittengirl · Apr 17, 2007, 02:33 PM

The chances aren't as bad as you might think from watching TV Did you know that you have a better chance of a household accident happening than you do of something at School or outside. Yet you probably aren't paranoid about being in another room of your house than your child.

AKaeTrue · Apr 17, 2007, 03:16 PM

I know everyone is saying that it wasn't perfect back then either, and that crime still existed - of course it did.

And yes the news has gotten better and more advanced...

But hasn't the bad people of the word gotten worse too?

Is it just my imagination?

If it was as bad then as it is now, then why didn't our parents keep close eyes on us and why was gun and knives allowed on school property?

My husband and I were both like Mag, on the weekends we were gone from sun up to sun down roaming the neighborhood with our friends...

I guess what sparked me off was this Va. Collage massacre that just took place... What a shame... What a nut case...

manimuth · Apr 17, 2007, 06:20 PM

I know this is probably not an appropriate part of this discussion because I don't know how to answer the question(s). But, I need to say that, as I sit here watching CNN and listening to students, friends and families of those lost, survivors, politicians, Dr. Phil, I feel so sad and helpless. I can't stop thinking about those parents who got that phone call telling them that their precious child, who they sent off on their own to become independent men and women, was shot down in class. I feel so sad. I'm 23 years old and don't have children but I can't help but feel terrified for the kids I will have, because of the scary world they have to live in.
I can't even imagine what the parents, of the young man who was responsible for the worst massacre in US history, are going through right now...

Emland · Apr 17, 2007, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

I can remember in high school, about 1/2 of us had guns in our trucks or cars, shotguns or hunting rifles because alot of us went hunting after school but having them there was normal. In science class the teacher wanted to open a package, and I remember about 10 or so of us had large pocket knifes we offered to the teacher.

I grew up in a rural community in southeast Arkansas and many of the young men had shotguns in their gun racks in their trucks and nearly every one of them carried pocket knives.

I don't believe that there more pedophiles and perverts out there. I believe we as a society aren't afraid to talk about it out loud now and are much more aware of it. Technology and communication are spreading the news more quickly than ever.

I hear a lot of people refer to the "good ol' days" when couples stayed married, etc. The "good ol' days" also forced women to stay in abusive situations because they had nowhere else to go. Kids got abused but no one wanted to admit the shame. There is a lot of dirty laundry hidden in those good ol' days.

Fr_Chuck · Apr 17, 2007, 07:10 PM

Yes I remember growing up, the neigbhor next door used to knock his wife around all the time, ( had to teach her what her place was)
And the house down the hill looking back, I am sure there was some child abuse going on at that time. But there was not really anyone to report it to, there was no support groups for women.

jvibe101 · Apr 18, 2007, 01:15 PM

Look at it this way... my cousin is currently a student at V-Tech and luckily didn't have class Monday.For some strange reason his class was cancelled for the day.He would have been in that exact building Monday.You never know out here.You can survive a gunshot wound and die from falling down the stairs. I walked away from car crashes unharmed and gotten a mild concussion from playing football at light practice.You can't live your life scared.You ask if it is safe out here... you can never tell.What happens happens and you have little control over it. If someone wants to come in on a random day and shoot every one he sees then we're out f luck.There are so many possibilities for every moment in every day and we can't change it.:cool:

manimuth · Apr 18, 2007, 02:07 PM

True and wise words, jvibe

AKaeTrue · Apr 18, 2007, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by jvibe101

Look at it this way... my cousin is currently a student at V-Tech and luckily didn't have class monday.For some strange reason his class was cancelled for the day.He would have been in that exact building monday.You never know out here.You can survive a gunshot wound and die from falling down the stairs. I walked away from car crashes unharmed and gotten a mild concussion from playing football at light practice.You can't live your life scared.You ask if it is safe out here... you can never tell.What happens happens and you have little control over it. If someone wants to come in on a random day and shoot every one he sees then we're out f luck.There are so many possibilities for every moment in every day and we can't change it.:cool:

Your right, we can't change it.
Isn't that a shame...

I believe if laws came with harsher consequences, some people would think twice about committing a heinous crime though.
Accidents do happen, but I can't find, in any part of my being, where child abductions, rape and murder (among others) are accidents...
They are not accidents, they are tragedies.

I strongly feel that some could be prevented with a better law system.
And then of course you have the whacks that go on shooting sprees then commit suicide so that they don't have to face justice (what little there is)...

I'm glad your cousin is safe and didn't have class...

Confuzzledmonkey · Apr 20, 2007, 10:55 PM

I know it is difficult for you to leave your children alone, but please don't stop them from meeting new people and exploring their independence. Maybe you should meet with some other parents from a nursery/school/group and leave your children to play outside with one of their parents. You shouldn't be paranoid yes it does happen to people but that is just life, in general life is much better then it used to be is the senses of racism sexism and other problems becoming stopped.

The better law system could be good, but maybe we just need to welcome mental disorders as something everyone has, because as I understand he was depressed or something of the likes. Loads of people with mental disabilities have the potential to become dangerous unless they are treated and looked after, to many people are afraid of coming forwards with a problem like that because they are scared.

grammadidi · Apr 20, 2007, 11:39 PM

I believe if we had harsher consequences it would be a good start, but there aren't enough jail cells. The mental health system lets a LOT of people down, too. I know, I have worked in it and I have an adopted child who needs special care and can't get it because she is 16 now. Sigh...

Anyhow, I wanted to say that you just can't live your life in fear. We need to live - I mean truly live! If we let them scare us, we become the losers and they (bad people) gain control over us. We can do far more good by modelling the kind of behaviours we want others to live by.

Ummmm... as for guns... tell me, why would a person who has been found a danger to himself and to others NOT have a problem getting a gun?? (I won't even ask why he would be allowed to be an outpatient and trusted to get therapy if he was so dangerous!) There must be a way that if someone has been declared incompetent or dangerous at some point in their life that they are banned from owning a gun forever.

Another issue... two parents work... we live for the almighty dollar nowadays. There is nobody there to raise the children. Before there was usually one parent AND a community. Now they close our recreational facilities, withdraw funding from children's and teens programs, etc. and wonder why kids turn to getting in trouble.

Oh, I have so many beefs! :)

Anyhow, just don't let it make you run and hide.

Hugs, Didi

AKaeTrue · Apr 21, 2007, 07:34 AM

I have many beefs too. LOL

For the most part, I do live without fear. Everyday being a new one.
I avoid potentially dangerous situations in everyday life such as allowing my children to play in the streets and running up and down the stairs, etc.
But as far as being a hermit because of all the "bad people", that doesn't happen.

It just bothers me - all the terrible things that happen in the world.

As the old saying goes "why can't we all just get along?"

Yesterday a gunman claimed a life and his own at the space center in Houston... How could he just walk in the space center with a gun?

ggmagoo · Apr 21, 2007, 03:40 PM

For me it is plain and simple. We have abandoned the moral foundation we once knew well. The world has never been perfect, but I think that over time we have eroded the boundaries that were set for our safety and protection. We have used our freedom of speech, right to bear arms and other freedom and rights to promote our sick views and values. It has eaten away at our culture one-dollar bill at a time. This is the monster we have created and we continue to pay for not stopping those who felt financially compelled to push our society boundaries of decency. If we try to stop and pull back on the things in this world that clearly hurt us as a people, family or society, I am confident someone will cry foul and say your stomping all over my rights and freedom! I argue that those very people have misused and abused the true meaning of what those right and freedoms were intended. We have and continue to divert our eyes because it doesn’t or did not effect us, but we pay or children pay every day for complacency. The world was never perfect, but no one can deny that once there were things men and women did and did not do. Today our list has gotten short as to what we should not do as individuals and a society. We are witnessing what we have all in some way or another has taken part in creating.