News stories and the world we live in

As much as I love watching the news and reading the news, I still find myself sitting in awe of some of the stories I hear and read about. One such story (click here) was just this morning.

As I read this article, I became more and more disgusted with the thought processes that young people (especially young men boys) are making. I see all these boys trying to imitate a culture that has been born and bred of the excesses of rap culture. "You cant get what you want - just take it and deal with the consequences". Now dont get me wrong, I like rap music, and have for a very long time. But how many times do you go near an inner city area, and see a $1000 car jacked up on $4000 26" rims...wearing jeans with their back pockets around behind their knees ... thinking THUG is the way to get out of the ghetto.

THINKING is how you get out of your situation
EARNING is how you get out of your situation
LEARNING is how you get out of your situation

RESPECT is something that is totally lost with today's kids. I am raising my kids to have respect not only for their parents, but for others as well. They are being raised with manners, and a good head on their shoulders.

I cant stand it when I see all these boys (yes I keep calling them boys because to be a man, you gotta ACT like a man) running around showing us what underwear they have on, having their hat on sideways, talking ghetto to act cool, and thinking I am impressed with their ghetto-ness.

There is a guy who works at one of our terminals (Gary IN) who is a prime example of this. The guy is 33 years old, and walks around all day with his sunglasses on (INSIDE mind you), his knitted cap, jeans hanging around his thighs, and the only thing he will say is "SUP!"...a product of his environment - he has to act his part or someone might think he isnt cool.

OK back to the original intent of the story - these guys ORCHESTRATED a plan to go out, find a woman, and rape her -- they PLANNED it...how is it, that you have 5 people and not ONE of them says "Gee, rape is a felony, and its not morally right to do something like that"...has our society gotten to the point where the inhumane torture of another person is OK? I cannot even FATHOM in my own mind even THINKING about something like that, let alone have 5 people all think this is OK!!! It just boggles my mind. If these punks are found guilty of the 5 counts they all have against them, I would love to be the executioner on this one..I am still debating on what their punishment might be - there is one side of me that wants them each to experience what she experienced...and then there is the other side of me that wants them to endure a life of hard labor (like they do in the Louisiana Prison System according to Locked Up on MSNBC) and every penny they earn from now until they die goes to this woman...

But since I wont be the executioner on this one, I just have to sit by and watch the judicial system and hope and pray they bring justice on this one.

Agitated, aggrivated, and totally dismayed by society is how I feel this morning...and on that note, I get to go play in Chicago traffic - YAY!

J-Dawg