Sincerely,

Saddened

Our media, our children’s main influence (ask yourself who spends more time with your children?) has degraded to the point where these type of assaults are seen as funny by kids. How many parents really know what their children are watching on cable or viewing on the internet? Whose fault would it be that our media and then our society has degraded into this cultural mess that we see today? We are leaving our children a country in a much worse state that we received it.

Just like no accountability for the recent presidency starting two wars and spending our country into huge debt, now they want to cut off our children’s future of Social Security and Medicare to pay for it and more tax cuts for old rich people. These are the leaders of our country opening working for the already wealthy and the media lying to everyone every day promoting the agenda of the 1% to continue the class war stealing all of America’s wealth for themselves.

And what have the adults done in this country? Nothing. WE are an embarrassment to this nation. WE have been setting horrible examples for our children, selfishly hoarding the last bit of America’s wealth, watching the whole democratic experiment go down the tubes, mindlessly entertaining ourselves. Selfishly pretending everything is OK, while we are leaving our children a country based on lies and zero opportunity! They have outsourced our jobs, left huge piles of debt for our children spent on wars based on lies, implemented costly huge new government programs that violate our Constitution…and we have done nothing to stop them. The wealth is so concentrated into the hands of so few, and yet the 1%ers corporate media tell us the wealthy need even more. And people will actually vote for Romney, who the 1% media loves!

Now take a step back and look at our community. All of the large spaces, all of the wealth in the community goes for wealthy people and tourists. What is there for teenagers to do at night in the community? There might be a few activities here and there which always cost $$, but no where for teenagers to just spend time. When I am in town at night, almost everything is shut down, but there are teenagers walking around, with nothing to do.

Does anyone in this town remember being young? Having energy? Liking to socialize and goof off with friends? Being awake past 9 pm?

What would you do if you were a teenager in this town? With today’s cultural influences delivered by the 1%ers media? I can’t say I would be any different that these teenagers. Sure when we were kids if someone passed out at a party we would be concerned about their well being rather than pull their clothes off and take pictures.
But whose fault is that really? They are a product of our society and our community. And when teenagers have nothing to do, they imitate what they see on TV or take stupidity to the lowest common denominator because it’s cool and gets attention.

How about we do more as a community to introduce better ideas, better influences, and a safer environment to hang out in at night when teenagers have free time and like to socialize? Perhaps this would not change a criminal’s behavior, but it might have been a place that the victim would have rather gone that night. Perhaps half of those teenagers might not have been there if there was something else to do.

What comes across to our children as far as our priorities in this community? A park that serves the very young, a football field that serves the athletes all look good to adults on the outside, but nothing has been done to serve our children and their psychological needs.

Teenagers need to socialize, they need to have fun parties at night, they just need a safe place to do it. When a teen center was mentioned to the city council, they said ‘oh no’ we don’t have the money for that, after having purchased $100,000 worth of new furniture for themselves. They tax us to support the museum(they’re building a new museum!), tax us to support he visitors center, tax us to support every damn thing the city council wants…but we can’t do anything for the teenagers. We know where their priorities lie Homer, but what about the parents in this community? What will you do? Because if we don’t provide a better example, a better place to be, a way to redirect if you will, parties like this will continue and probably get worse. Basic psychology 101. Negative reinforcement creates more negative behaviors. Positive redirection…well why do we give it a try and see?