Leaky Pipes

I got this in an email from a friend of mine, and I don't know the original source of it, so I can't give credit where credit is due, but it's certainly a good read.

 

I've got a leak in the pipe coming into my hot water heater. It is in the foundation so it is hard to fix. So, I've turned down the temperature in my hot water heater. It doesn't fix the problem, it wouldn't have stopped the water that has already leaked, and I know my foundation will continue to decay from the water that is still leaking, but hey, I've done 'something' and it makes me feel better about the problem. I don't even want to think or talk about what really needs done because it is hard to fix.

We've got young people going on rampages and massacring children. I'm going to make it harder to buy guns. It doesn't fix the problem, I acknowledge that it wouldn't have stopped the killing that has already happened, so I know it won't stop any more killing, but it makes me 'feel better' that I've done 'something.' I won't even talk about the real problem because it is too hard to fix - and it might mean I have to admit I have some culpability in the problem.

The real problem isn't guns. The real problem isn't games or movies. The real problem is a decay in our culture that we've allowed to permeate the thinking of our children. And you are all responsible in some way.

I see kids walking around with their pants hanging off their bottoms like they got them as hand-me-downs from a short chubby cousin, shoe laces missing like they just got out of county lockup, and gang sign tattoos showing like they have 'street cred.' Very few of these are poor kids from 'the hood.' They are middle and even upper class children whose parents can afford to dress them better. Parents who could demand better behavior, but 'enable' their children to worship poverty and crime. Who let their kids listen to rap music performed by celebrities who's claim to fame is their 'street cred' - their criminal activity and 'gangsta' associations. Our culture is one that worships poverty and crime. We worship drug using, wife beating, immoral celebrities. And even if we don't personally, we tolerate it and 'enabled' our children to emulate that behavior. (The President has even entertained these 'celebrities' at the White House.)

But nobody wants to talk about that. We want to blame the guns. We want to blame the games. We do not want to blame ourselves for allowing our children to grow up thinking poverty is good and crime is the way to succeed. It is OUR fault. We are responsible for raising a generation of unmotivated, uncaring, insensitive young adults. But we don't want to address the real problem because we would have to acknowledge our responsibility for it. No legislation by the government can fix the problem of irresponsible parenting.

So, we won't fix the problem - but we'll 'feel better' that we've done 'something.'