IF YOU SEE A DEAD BODY...

Last night I watched the latest episode of the new police drama, "Southland." I really like this show - actually, I am a sucker for all the crime drama shows on TV. In this episode, however, I saw something that disturbed me. It was a scene in which three or four middle-school-aged kids came upon a naked woman's dead body in an alley. They threw rocks at it and took videos of themselves kicking the body and laughing. At first, I tried to tell myself that this would never happen, but the more I thought about it, I knew that it was completely realistic. Later that evening on Nightline, there was a story about a teenager who set his house on fire and murdered his parents. And - Dateline was advertising a story about another young man who murdered his mother for no apparent reason. Dear God.

Earlier yesterday, I caught an interview with Lenore Skenazy - the woman who let her nine year old son ride the subway by himself, and has now written a book entitled, "Free Range Kids - Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts With Worry." (A ridiculously long title for a book!)

I started thinking about what it was like when I was growing up. Yes - I roamed the neighborhood, stayed out past dark playing...I didn't know anyone who was ADD or ADHD...no autism...and I certainly didn't know anyone who would throw rocks at a dead body for fun!

So - what's happened??? It is certainly a different world. I have no idea what is causing the ADD/Autism. Could be immunization...could be additives in our food...could be a lot of things. As for the violence and desensitization of our children I can find easy answers by blaming violent video games, movies and TV - but I think there is more to it. We make sure our children have an education - we fill them with facts and skills - but no one seems to be teaching them character. No one is teaching our kids the value of life.

I don't remember adults giving me "character" lessons - or sitting me down and lecturing me about how important life is - but I think I was taught these things through community...through church. I have to add that the church of my youth seemed a more gentle and kind variety than the ones I know now. And, my school teachers were excellent examples of character. We had boundaries then - and a no-brainer kind of respect for other people. We talked and communicated face to face - not filtered through a computer screen or abbreviated conversations via text messaging.

I realize that it is impossible to return to the good old days - and I wouldn't want to, anyway. But there must be a way to reclaim integrity and character in our lives. I still think teachers are a vital part of this - but they have been so limited in what they can offer our children. They are constrained by the fear of being sued - and their salaries are abysmal. You have to be Mother Teresa these days to want to be a teacher!

Anyway - I have no real answers here - just lots of questions. And, I can't get that scene out of my mind.