Abuse

     One of the things I’ve never been able to understand is child abuse.  This is a great problem and concern today and has been growing in severity over the past few years.  With the recent two incidents of parents in California (USA) horribly mistreating their children, that situation is unbelievable.  I was born into a family that wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we cared for each other when it counted.  I had two older sisters (one has passed away) and a younger brother, being somewhat saddled in the middle.  So I know what it is like when you’re too young to be doing the things that your older siblings would do and I was too old to get the attention at times that my “baby’ brother got.  We had our differences of opinions when we were growing up, we still do.  The same was true with our parents.  I can’t say we were the closest of families, but we had vacation times and other family times when we got together.  But even when we would disagree with our parents or vice-versa never did the situation reach the level of violence that can be seen today.  We were disciplined when we were growing up when it was needed.  But that didn’t mean we were beat all the time.  Sometimes a good stern talk or spending some time in your room was all that was needed.

     Of course, sending a child to their room today would probably not be viewed as punishment.  The child’s room probably has a television, a VCR or DVD player, a stereo system, computer, games, toys, books and almost any other thing you can imagine.

     Maybe the problem stems from a basic lack of love.  Today many parents have children that they don’t want.  They feel they just get in the way.  They leave them alone at home when it’s not necessary.  HOW can you possibly “forget” that you have a baby in the back seat of your vehicle?  They make them grow up fending for themselves.  Parents today will not apply necessary counsel, discipline, and direction that are needed in the lives of their children.  Some feel there is justification for abortions, but in many cases that is only another cop-out --- not wanting to shoulder the responsibility for their actions and raise a child that they never should have had in the first place!

     But often children themselves add to the problem.  They reject authority of any kind.  They seek out their own choice of peers and support their actions by condemning the actions (or lack thereof) of their parents.  They get a chip on their shoulders thinking their parents “owe” them because they never “asked” to be born.  Instead of viewing life as a precious gift, given to them, they waste it and let it fall apart.  Yes, child abuse (actually human abuse) is a problem that everyone should look at more seriously.  And I’m not prepared in this blog to start a discussion of sexual child abuse or the abuse of our older generation. 

     At times it seems that our HUMAN tendencies are not to act very human at all!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"You NEVER harm those you love."