Times have changed. I remember growing up. Everybody was your parent. When you were in church, at school or outdoors, you had to be the best-behaved child. Any adult that saw you doing anything out of the way sure would give you a spanking and, before you got home, your grandma or mother knew.

Furthermore, you knew you were in trouble. Right away you started to think what was awaiting you at home. You could not think of running away. That was not in my mind nor vocabulary.

My generation was bought up with values. This next generation has their priorities set in the wrong direction.

Rosita Bynoe
Republic of Panama
rositabynoe31@hotmail.com

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Each prior generation think theirs was "da bomb" generation, the greatest generation when compared to a present generation, mine and Ms. Rosita Bynoe' included. However, along with the brilliance our generations produced, we also can lay claim to other and not so brilliant or humane people and acts.

Remember, today's perverts, abusers, child sexual predators are products of "our" generation. Along with those, we can also lay claim to the serial killers, rapists, mass murderers. Mass corruption and lying in politics, to name only a few. Some "values" our generation had, and great examples we've set for our young people to follow, wouldn't you say?

No generation is perfect. All generations have produced their flaws and imperfections alongside their accomplishments, great minds and shining brilliance.

In some remote African Village or other developing country's village, where everyone know one another or are related, that old saying, "It takes a village to raise a child" might hold true. But the American village is too vast, large, complex and dysfunctional to allow anyone and everyone to have a hand in raising and/or disciplining a child.

There's too much abuse, indifference, self-serving and self indulging interests to allow the American adult villagers to have full reign over our young people without expecting dire consequences. Our young people have become desensitized to, having been overly exposed to far too much "discipline" at the hands of far too many. Authority figures no longer hold any power; threats, punishment and even pain no longer affects many. It's the same as when an animal (even the human animal) is kicked one time too many.......We're experiencing the manifestations of those consequences now in having allowed too many insensitive hands in the raising/disciplining of the "village" children inhabiting this "American dysfunctional village."

Brenda Manghane~Washington
manghane_washington@yahoo.com