|
|
Post by Sunkist on Jun 11, 2020 11:10:53 GMT -5
I used the title of a book by one of Robert Kennedy's sons as the title of this thread.
Things have been getting bad, and by the looks of it it's going to get worse.
As B. Springsteen said in one of his old songs- there's a meanness in this world. What can we do to turn the tide so the dreams and goals of RFK, MLK, etc. can be a reality for the younger generations?
Considering the horrible way kids are treated in this area- from teenagers down to the littlest children- it may not be surprising that they're "mad at the world." Or, quoting the older generation, "a chip on their shoulders and an axe to grind." I shouldn't have been too surprised when incidents made the local news throughout last year: a bunch of kids jumped and beat a couple who was walking home from a local event; another bunch of kids in a "swarm attack" on a parking-garage valet; and kids who started a riot at the city bus station. These kids were acting like packs of wild animals.
I also learned I'm smackdab in the middle of gang territory- skinheads, neo-nazis. Unlike gangs I heard of on the coasts, the "special feature" is these individuals harm total strangers. A popular "initiation": beating up homeless people. I knew two who ended up in the hospital, and one who was literally beaten to death.
What stunned me, though, was being mad at the world and mob mentality isn't only in young people, and it's not only local. While the name of this forum- TakeRefuge- is nice in general, it's also a breath of fresh air in comparison to what I've encountered in recent months. It started with ethnic slurs- not only did no one say 'this is not o.k.,' the remarks were given 'likes.'
One particularly hateful individual jumped on comments about law enforcement and the military assisting with supplies etc. to help people affected by the coronavirus, not only making ongoing remarks with vocabulary getting worse and worse, but quantities of other people "jumping on the bandwagon" with similar hateful remarks.
And all of these remarks were coming from seniors!!!
When I was a teenager, the age group slightly older had large numbers of sayings on t-shirts, posters, etc. One was: IF YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION, YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM. Another was: "I THOUGHT SOMEBODY SHOULD DO SOMETHING.. THEN I REMEMBERED: "I AM SOMEBODY".'
What can I do- what can anyone do- to make a difference? I'm tired of all this HATE- and its corresponding verbal violence.
|
|
|
|
Post by cassandra on Jun 11, 2020 15:18:13 GMT -5
In my experience, Janice, the young who hate were not exposed to hope and curiosity for their futures. I always give the children in my life the hope that they can become someone Great, that they are smart and funny and creative and WILL have a Good Life. Not as a Maybe, but as a Definite. Then I tell them the hows, whos, & whats.
I treat all the young people I meet daily the same way: with humor and respect. I love youth.
|
|
|
|
Post by Fireheart on Jun 16, 2020 7:59:35 GMT -5
I'm sorry to hear of so much violence is happening in your area. It must be a frightening thought that those things are happening so close to your home. Most kids who do things like that either have mental issues from the get go or have mental health problems that have arisen from years of physical or emotional abuse or neglect. It is horrible to think how they must have been raised and what they must have endured to have such hate in their hearts at such a young age. Some of them probably could be saved from that type of life if we had better community programs in place to combat it...others may be beyond reform. Also, there are many times that these children are simply but sadly part of a cycle of "I'm treated badly"----> I treat my children (when I grow up) and others badly----> "I'm treated badly" ----> I treat my children and others badly. It's sad, and without intervention, the cycle is likely to continue for generations. A quote that I have heard so many times is: "You are NOT responsible for what was forced upon you as a child...but, as an adult, you ARE responsible for healing that part of you and doing better." I agree with that statement, BUT there is a flaw in this case. If these kids are thrown into this lifestyle as children and that is what they grow up with (gangs and such), by the time that they are old enough to realize that is not what they want for their lives, they are (many times) so deep in that group that even attempting to leave would be sure death at the hands of the other members. So, what do we do? The police can't fight all of these gangs, there are too many and as soon as you break up one, another would pop up. The only way to fix this is to fix the children, the homes they come from, and the mentality that gets them to that point...when they are little....before it is even an option.
Sorry, that was so long, but I ran a psychological practice for years and have seen so many issues with these types of kids, so I have quite the opinion on it.
As for your statement about Take Refuge, it truly is horrible that you were at a place that allowed (and even encouraged) that type of mindset and those types of comments. Take Refuge is not that type of place. While I encourage freedom of speech, even for those that I disagree with, I will not tolerate hate speech at all. I believe in love and compassion for all people regardless of race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, or disability. I believe in loving people for their differences and learning about the world around us through those differences.
|
|
