Take a stand!

To put this mildly, we as a society have a problem in America that we are not paying enough attention to. One of many, I add, but that's not the point. Our children are angry and violent and many of them seem to have no regard for life of any kind nor do the understand or fear the consequences of their actions. And it's our fault!

Yesterday MSNBC reported that a second teenage child, a girl, was arrested as an accessory in connection with the vicious and premeditated beating of a 14 year old Ft. Lauderdale, Fl girl, Josie Ratley while she waited for her school bus outside of her middle school.

15 year old high school student Wayne Treacy reportedly punched Ratley in the head until she fell on the ground, then continued beating her by smashing her head on the pavement, kicking her and stomping on her while wearing steel-toed boots. Treacy has been arrested and charged with premeditated attempted murder. This is no simple school yard fisticuffs.

This heinous attack is reported to have stemmed from a cell phone text message, however the local authorities are investigating further and believe that the attack was prompted by the recent death (possibly suicide) of Treacy's only brother. The day before Treacy's 15th birthday in October he found his brother hanging from a tree.

Ratley was airlifted to Broward General Medical Center, where she remains in critical condition and is currently in a medically induced coma.

Josie's parents are pleading with the public to have open discussions with your children about right and wrong, violence and consequences as well as the unseen dangers of texting and the Internet.

Don't think for one minute that I'm taking this out on boys. This situation just happens to involve a boy. Almost on a weekly basis I either read somewhere or see on the news how our teenage girls are out of control. Videotaping their back lot brawls & posting them on YouTube for "Street Cred" (street credibility), which in the videos I've seen they are just as dirty, bloody & violent as any boy fight I've ever witnessed.

I want to know WHY in 2010 should any family have to be suffering this way? Was that boy put into therapy after finding his brother hanged? Where does a 15 year old boy get the notion that it would be ok to place a hand on another child, scratch that, boys will be boys right? Hmmm. Where did he get the notion it would be ok to put his hands on, to BEAT, to kick in the head with steel toed boots a 14 year old girl? Why are our children so violent? What are we doing about it? Do we even know our kids? And seeing these types of articles as often as they are in the news, WHY are we surprised when we have "Trench Coat Mafias" & the like gunning down our kids in school? Would that have been the next step for this boy had he not been caught this time?

I'm taking adults to task on this - I ask you: What are we going to do about the mess our society is turning into? Are you teaching your children morals, ethics, compassion, empathy trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness and citizenship. Where do you think we will be tomorrow if we don't make a change today?

Don't hold back, tell me what's on your mind. I want to hear from you.

This is:
What Now?... With Paula