Irresponsible parents

[JesusA (imported)]

Shirley offers fix for bad parenting

Sterilize irresponsible moms, dads, he says

BY BRIAN HICKS

Charleston City Councilman Larry Shirley says the robbery of a downtown video store - allegedly by a band of kids, including one too young to be charged - is a sure sign society has gone awry, and it's time to start a "dialogue."

And one of the things he says needs to be talked about is whether bad parents should be sterilized.

"What we've got is a failure in society, whether it's in Mount Pleasant with yuppie parents or whether it's on the East Side with poor crackhead parents," Shirley said Friday. "We pick up stray animals and spay them. These mothers need to be spayed if they can't take care of theirs. ... Once they have a child and it's running the streets, to let them continue to have children is totally unacceptable." Deadbeat dads ought to be sterilized as well, he said.

Wednesday night, police arrested a 14-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy in connection with a stickup at the Hollywood Video at East Bay and Calhoun streets.

A 9-year-old who was apparently involved was taken home to his mother by police, saying he was too young to charge.

Shirley, like many in the community, was aghast that someone could be turned loose for being too young to be charged with a crime, and that the parents of these kids had no idea what they were up to at 9 p.m. on a school night.

"It is a tragedy to bring a child into this world and subject them to the world in that video," Shirley said, referring to a DVD found by police earlier this year that featured local residents flashing guns and drugs to the beat of gangsta rap.

If a child is too young to do time for a crime, his folks ought to do it, Shirley said.

This, Shirley says, is not about race. He said that the only difference between the East Side holdup and the Wando High School students who were charged with a string of robberies is that "Mount Pleasant parents have the money to get lawyers for their thugs."

State Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, says Shirley is correct, that this is a societal problem, but that the notion of sterilizing people is just "crazy."

"What Larry Shirley needs to talk about is getting City Council to provide some recreational facilities and activities for these kids and creating an atmosphere conducive to a normal society," said Ford, a former councilman.

"We've got all sorts of things for kids to do in my neighborhood in West Ashley. They need that downtown. But he's upset that kids aren't listening to their parents. So what's new?"

Charleston police have made no new arrests in the video store robbery, and the kids detained for the holdup face a hearing Monday morning.

Police said Friday that it's up to the Solicitor's Office whether to call in social workers to investigate the home life of the 9-year-old sent home after the robbery.

Shirley said sometimes social services is part of the problem, making parents afraid to whip their kids when they need it. Ford says that's the way it is supposed to work.

"Hasn't he heard, 'It takes a village'?"

The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

Saturday, September 30, 2006

http://www.charleston.net/assets/webPag ... =9/30/2006

[Uncle Flo (imported)]

Ah,yes. I seem to have heard all this before. Every generation or so, in fact. People who don't know what to do seem to think they have all the answers. Anger is no substitute for real, effective policies. I'll bet the city council meetings are very entertaining. --FLO--

[SplitDik (imported)]

Why not start by making parents responsible legally/financially for crimes committed by their juvenile kids? I think once parents start serving time for their kids car thefts they might actually start more actively parenting.

[A-1 (imported)]

Why not start by making parents responsible legally/financially for crimes committed by their juvenile kids? I think once parents start serving time for their kids car thefts they might actually start more actively parenting.

Sterilization is too good for them.

A-1

[Taylor (imported)]

I can see the gentleman's point. Frankly there are people that shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. However, that's a VERY slippery slope. If they have proven their inability to raise and care for their children, then they should be prevented from dropping a litter every 9 months (and the fathers should be prevented from the capacity for inpregnating) and adding to the financial and societal burden for which WE are responsible.

If the goddamn little monsters can't be controlled by their parents, then take the little bastards (literally and figuratively) and put them in a REFORM school.

We know what needs to be done so society should stop pissing about and do it!

[kristoff]

Sterilization is too good for them.

A-1

Who? The parents? Or the kids?

[Riverwind (imported)]

In todays world its the other person/companys fault, not mine, and you can bet its not my kids.

The responsability belongs to you, not me, its not my fault. really.

I really hope this pisses you off, if so then you are finally taking the responsability that should have been taken by parents going back about 30 plus years. In my day, a teacher could give you a swat and if that happened DAD usally found out, somehow I have never figured out but it ment that I would also be making a trip to the tool shed for further instruction on the errors of my ways.

I remember my second son was always lying, and he kept promising he would never do it again. Right. Then I watched a show called Fatherhood by Bill Cosby. The next time John lied to me we headed for the wood shed. We talked and John again promised he would never lie again. I believed him so I told him he would not be getting a swat from me. John turned to leave and I let him have it, lifted the boy right off the floor. He turned to me with shock and I said to him, "I lied".

I never read that book that said you never spank your kids. I dont believe in it. It dosent work. John is a great young man, 28, and is totally honest.

Hmmmmm.

River

[Taylor (imported)]

HERE-HERE Riverwind.

They could still spank when I was in elementary school (the principal had one of those paddles with the holes drilled in it and he used it).

If I got in trouble in school I'd get it from the school then I'd get it from my parents when I got home. In retrospect, I deserved every spanking I ever received.

These days the parents don't give a shit and think their precious little monster is an angel. If they don't discipline their kids then they are setting their kids up for failure when they are adults. Once a spoiled brat grows up the world is going to provide a huge reality check.