As I’ve said many times in the past, we can’t stop violence. But we can prevent much of it.
The antidote to violence is discipline.
There’s a lot of focus on violent entertainment, particularly video games and movies. While there’s no conclusive evidence that violent entertainment causes violent behavior-there’s certainly no doubt that continual glorification of violence in entertainment is simply not constructive.
The profiles of the serial killers and mass murderers are painfully consistent. One terribly pervasive theme is a lack of parental interest or control over their behavior in their formative years.
Duh!
I’ve seen it for years when parents bring their children to my martial arts program and asked me to somehow install self-discipline and personal responsibility in their children.
It starts at home- and right now the monkeys are running the zoo.
As sickening as the glorification of violence and entertainment is the current trend, particularly in advertising, of kids running the household. There’s a glamorization of children making fools of their parents, showing disrespect to elders, and getting their way no matter what.
Does this turn kids into the mass murderers?
No- not anymore than violent imagery does. But it reinforces a lack of respect, discipline, and acceptance of personal responsibility.
Most violence happens in a vacuum. What I mean is that crime and violence is usually bred from scarcity, not abundance.
That’s why so much crime happens in areas with acute poverty. That’s why nearly every mass murder comes from a background of self-isolation, a displaced sense of vengeance and a complete lack of acceptance of personal responsibility for one’s own circumstances and conditions.
That’s why whenever you scratch a killer, you’re likely to find a complete lack of positive parental or adult influence.
Bad habits and negative behaviors grow best in this same vacuum.
Discipline is the intentional development of purposeful habits…
…but kids don’t lick it from a rock.
You got to teach kids that they alone are responsible for their own actions and consequences. You got to teach them to work hard, stay focused, and most of all stay as positive as possible when the going gets tough.
Teach your kids authentic discipline, and they won’t have time or space in their lives to get into trouble.
Of course I’m probably preaching to the choir.
There’s a recent commercial on the air were family is gathering to decide how best to distribute their data plan minutes. Dad pleads his case for why he, and not his little dependents, should get the lion’s share of the data minutes.
No!
Dad pays the bills. Dad gets the minutes. Any minutes that are doled out to the little darlings should be accepted with absolute gratitude.
Or how about this? If you want more minutes, get a paper route and pay for them.
Believe me I’m not trying to trivialize current events are somehow say that every kid with an inflated sense of entitlement who acts like a wiseguy to his parents is going to become a mass shooter.
What I can tell you from experience is that kids who are raised with a clear sense of personal responsibility seldom strike out at others. Kids are taught that discipline is the key to success are usually too busy to get into any serious trouble.
Nobody has done this to us. We’ve allowed our culture to become hyper permissive. We’ve allowed kids to run roughshod over us. We support the glorification of violence every time we take our kids to an action-adventure movie or buy them the latest first-person shooter game.
Now it’s time to indoctrinate young people with a positive values that will help them develop into happy and productive adults.
Start with discipline.
SPECIAL UPDATE
Father of Sandy Hook shooting victim says the solution is not more laws- it’s a return to civility. What do you think?
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