Probably because what we call suffering is just normal to them. We all continue to do things that are normal to us that others think are crazy, mostly because we are used to doing them. Fortunantely, most of the crazy things we do aren't so heinous. A person can't get help until they realize there is a problem, abd admitting that YOU have a problem is always the hardest part.

I agree with a lot of the points Traci has made. I do understand that people are victims of their circumstances. But at some point you have to take personal responsibility for your actions. I know that most people in these circumstances are lower income, little or no education and I agree they aren’t going to go to parenting classes unless forced (for the most part). I just sometimes feel that people use their circumstances to excuse their own bad behavior, not all of course but some.

I don’t know what the solution is actually. Education certainly. Easy availability of birth control would be helpful. Some change in the thinking that it’s ok to have multiple kids, with multiple partners. Maybe there are too many safety nets. It’s just easier to do what you want, instead of taking some responsibility for your actions. There are many programs to help you get housing, food etc. I’m not saying that this is an easy way to live just that maybe if it weren’t given it might not be so abused. It just seems to me that a lot of people end up in these circumstances because they can. On the other hand you can’t just let people starve etc so I don’t know what could be done. It’s a huge problem and it only seems to be getting worse.

A friend was teaching at our former high school. We had a couple of girls either visibly pregnant or had already had kids by graduation. So this wasn’t shocking. But what she found with the kids currently attending was that it was almost cool to have a kid. A mini fashion accessory. The parents help them out so it doesn’t crimp their style much. My parents would have killed me. Well maybe not actually but I lived in fear of it, therefore used my brain a bit so they wouldn’t have any reason. Maybe it was better when it was shameful to be a teenage parent? Obviously not really but how can we have teenage birth rates higher than third world countries?

As I said I have no solutions, and it’s a very complicated problem. But there has to be something that can be done. Right?

Yes there is. You say "that's a very sad story and I'm sorry you didn't find it in yourself to either be better than your upbringing or get help in controlling your impusles. But you killed somebody so off to jail with you."

What's all this then?
 

I assume you say this in a Graham Chapman voice to make it extra funny.

Sorry, NA- I simply cannot let this pass.

All's right with the world.









Dirty books, please.

I assume you assume I know who Graham Chapman* is. I don't see why it would need to be funny. Making jokes as you send someone off to jail seems unnecessarily harsh.



*wendybeth's response leads me to assume he is a Monty Python person.

Yes. He's the dead one.

Then I hereby declare him the current holder of "funniest of the bunch."