Who Is In Control?

Let's take a look at what has been happening around Monroe lately. And, no, I am not going to write about the budget. Let's just compare the police blotter today to when I was a teenager (it is embarassing to say how long ago that was — but I graduated from Masuk in 1986).

Yes, I did some wrong things as a teen. But I don't remember ever playing mailbox baseball, though I knew people who did. Since I was helping the new priest become acclimated to running the youth group at the time, it was my job to keep those people out of the festivities until they went to speak with the priest one-on-one. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

But I did have my wild side, too. I knew how to party. But when I partied, I also knew that there were going to be repercussions. I knew that my parents were going to find out because I had an older sister who told on me all of the time (and I did the same to her).

When I look at teens today, they seem to get away with whatever they do. It is as if there are no such things as repercussions anymore. That doesn't make sense to me.

How far would you go to keep your teenaged kid out of trouble? I know many parents who would go to jail themselves rather than have their children go to juvenile court and be fined. So, where is the control? Who has it?

A few years ago, I was a little league umpire. I quit doing that because of the parents. I would call a player out at first or call a pitch a strike and then the parents would start jumping up and down, ready to beat the living you-know-what out of me. I had to have the park ranger walk me back to my car after the games.  So, I stopped little league games and started doing only adult games.

When I was a 12, we had to apologize to adults for everything we said that could even be interpreted as "wrong." If the adult was in the wrong, then our parent(s) would have a one-on-one chat with the adult. But I was more mature as a 12-year-old. I would have those conversations myself with that adult. Seventy-five per cent of the time, I received an apology.

However, neither my parents nor I ever threatened anyone. That isn't the case anymore.

Now we have the education department going downhill. People are upset that Chalk Hill Middle School is closing. The police department has more cases of vandalism and robbery than they can handle. The economic plans given to the people of Monroe to make things better have not panned out. People are ignoring the speed limit and stop signs. They are still talking on their cell phones all of the time. And this is the example that we are setting for our kids?

Just ask yourself this question the next time you pull out that cell phone on I-95:  Just who is in control?

If you know who has done any of these horrendous crimes in town, then do everyone a favor and call the police and tell them. They will find the evidence. Be respectful of your neighbors — stop racing and revving your cars all day and night.  If you can lend a hand to someone, then do it — your hand won't fall off.

Lastly, be respectful of other people, no matter who they are. You may not like what he/she looks like, but you will probably like the person. You are in control of yourself, but it seems like no one is in control of anything anymore.