How Many More Years?

Some funny Bushisms in the form of a game. Well, they might be funnier if he wasn't our PRESIDENT.

I understand this guy was in Tucson when I was home visiting in Tucson. In fact, we JUST missed the traffic nightmare that was created as he arrived for his departing flight at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport on the day we were leaving to fly home. Among the many thoughtful and enlightened remarks during his visit, he had this to say:

"Those who enter the country illegally violate the law."

He's good at pointing things out, though not so good at making points.

Anyway, I was up channel surfing last night and caught a few minutes of George Carlin. Wow, he's getting old. He was talking about how parents never seem to want to take responsibility for their kids when they're bad, but will be the first to stand up to show their pride ("look at my kid!") when their kids are good. He was making some point about how parents are responsible for their kids' behavior.

I can't agree with this. I just can't. I think parents are responsible for imparting concepts of "right" and "wrong" and for talking to their kids about important issues, like drugs and sex and the realities of life, but beyond that, the kid is going to make his or her own decisions. I think there should be some kind of test or something that all parents should be required to complete with their kids, to basically cover their asses, to indicate (and have some way to prove) that they have discussed certain issues with their kids and that the kids acknowledge that they have completed the material (like home schooling?). That way, if a kid gets in trouble for doing something stupid - something where he or she made a choice to do, having KNOWN better - then the parent cannot be held responsible. A parent can only do so much.

I have a cat that misbehaves. Hardly a comparison to a child, but I have seen the same behavior in children. I have done all I can and all I know - and continue to do so - to get this DAMN CAT from climbing up on the counters. The cat OBVIOUSLY knows better, since she doesn't dare do it when we're looking. But the minute we're out of sight, she's at it again.

Kids can be like that. I know from experience.

Anyway, not sure where this all came from. I just don't think it is right to blame the parents, completely, for all a child does that is wrong. After all, we can't attribute everything that a kid does well to the parents. I mean, do we attribute a prodigy child's musical talents to his parents if they are deaf? Parents can only do so much, and the child will ultimately exhibit the character that it truly is in the end.