What’s the Message?
Mon., August 11, 08:59 AM
Auntie Mari had an interesting note today regarding authorities who make rulings but don’t follow through. In essence, what’s the message you give to young people when the “rulers” don’t follow the rules? That begins with parents, and it also means teachers and coaches – all those who mentor young people.
The ultimate result may be something like a case that has dragged through the courts here for some time. Police attempted to stop a man who was suspected of drug traffic, the suspect tried to get away and seemed to aim his car at the cop, who fired his gun and the suspect was dead. And his mother sued.
Internal investigators and as well as the state police acquitted the officer, and the mother claimed wrongful death, this time in the civil courts. Her claim is that the officer shot her son because he was black. Not word one about where he was and what he was doing there, no mention of his breaking the law – just that the officer was prejudiced.
Now I’m not withholding my sympathy from the mother. It’s a terrible thing to bury your child. But what did you teach him about respect for authority. Didn’t you ever tell him it was a good idea to be polite to a policeman?
The jury more or less ignored the cop (he has no money, y’know), but they found the city guilty and awarded the mom a quarter of a million dollars. Even if appeals lower the award, she’ll be sitting pretty. The message I get from this case is, it’s all right to break the law, because even if you get caught, you can sue the police. And if you should actually get hurt – or even killed – you or your family can sue, and your mother will be set for life.
People who are put in charge must be respected; you respect the position if not the person. That isn’t an easy lesson to teach, especially when the authority is a teacher who isn’t even as smart as the kid s/he’s teaching. We went through a lot of that at our house. It's all too easy to put the blame on bigotry or prejudice ("that teacher doesn't like me"), but that's an excuse, not a reason, and you must learn the difference.
It continues; it’s hard to respect a dumbass when, not only didn’t we vote for him, but half the country didn’t either. The respect – and the faith – belongs to our system. In over two hundred years – despite wars, disagreement or plain stupidity – the chief of state has never been replaced except by the procedure set in place by the Constitution.
To go back to the original question, what messages are we sending to the generation that will in inherit our system?
