Author Topic: Is America disintegrating? (Read 2255 times)

Urchin · « **on:** April 18, 2003, 01:35:13 AM »

I really would have liked to say "Is our country disintegrating" but since not everyone is from America that might lead to some confusion.

I just watched a movie called "187". It is about a teacher who gets attacked by a student and moves across the country to California to teach. I didn't catch the first 15 minutes or so, so I have no idea why he would want to teach in an inner city L.A. school, but that is what he did. Anyway, he gets into a pissing contest with some gang in the school and ends up killing one of them and cutting another ones finger off. Eventually, he gets fired (not over that, but for tutoring a girl in his home), and 3 of the gang members go to killl him for killing their 'homeboy'. Anyway, the 'leader' of this gang (or at least the chief protaganist) is the one who got his finger chopped off. Him and the teacher end up playing Russian roulette, and the teacher blows his head off while taking the kids turn. The kid then gets upset and takes his turn, and blows his head off. I'd have quit while I was ahead, but hey...

Anyway, this movie kind of got me thinking. Is our society tearing itself apart? Even in the school district I substitute in (which is not a city district) there is usually at least one incident a year where a teacher is attacked by a student. I don't believe any of them have been fatal, but there have been several teachers that were severely injured as a result of a student attacking them. One in particular that I remember happened to a teacher in my high school while I was attending said school. A teacher was pushed down a flight of stairs by a student while trying to break up a fight between two students- I believe she broke a leg (but it might have been an arm, I just remember she broke something and was out the rest of the year). Or are we only self-destructing in certain places, like the cities? And even if it is just in certain places, is it right for the rest of us to stand by and do nothing?

Also, I honestly don't understand what the hell seems to be wrong with people. You constantly hear about people just 'snapping'. School shootings, work shootings, "road rage", other assorted random violence that really shows that we, collectively, have very little regard for other people. I don't get it. I can understand being pissed off. I can even understand wanting to kill someone. I can even picture circumstances where I might actually go through with it- but I can't understand someone killing someone else over being cut off on the highway.

So, what is missing? Is it just a basic disregard for other people? A nonchalant attitude towards the wants and needs of others combined with a single-minded focus of WHAT I WANT, WHEN I WANT IT? I subscribe to the notion that everyone is responsible for their own actions... but it doesn't seem to be a universal belief by any means. Where are we going wrong as a society? Why is there such blatant lack of self control among so many people? What can we (collectively) do to impose order on these people? It seems to me that the 'justice system' isn't really cutting it. Our jails are more crowded than they have ever been, but it doesn't seem to deter crime. So how do we fix it?

Am I the only person that is seeing a gradual slide toward chaos? Am I perhaps misinterpreting stuff? What do you guys think? Also, for you non-Americans- do you notice anything similar going on in your countries?

funkedup · « **Reply #1 on:** April 18, 2003, 01:48:49 AM »

Too many kids being raised by one or zero biological parents. And the parents that stick around are often addicted and/or abusive. What we need is a MOAB filled with birth control.

hawk220 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 18, 2003, 01:55:31 AM »

What we need is a MOAB filled with birth control

EXCELLENT!

Dead Man Flying · « **Reply #3 on:** April 18, 2003, 02:15:54 AM »

For some reason, this thread makes me imagine America de-rezzing like Sark's carrier in Tron... bit by little bit.

-- Todd/Leviathn

funkedup · « **Reply #4 on:** April 18, 2003, 02:29:48 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Dead Man Flying
For some reason, this thread makes me imagine America de-rezzing like Sark's carrier in Tron... bit by little bit.

-- Todd/Leviathn

NERD!

Regurge · « **Reply #5 on:** April 18, 2003, 02:38:04 AM »

That was a good movie. IIRC Samuel L Jackson played the teacher and was pretty intense. The freaky thing is I was in L.A. for the first time when I saw it. Not being used to huge cities like that I was nervous already and seeing that made me want to leave even more.

Back to the point, what Funked said, and even when both parents are around they let school/tv/video-games raise the kid for them.

Dunno how to fix it other than stopping them from breeding. I think you'd stop alot of the gang stuff by paying crack potatos/welfare moms to have their tubes tied. There was an organization doing this but i think they got shut down.

As for rich kids going on killing sprees, I'm not sure. I dont think holding parents responsible would work. You would think the possiblility of kids going psycho would be get their parents to pay attention but evidently not.

Urchin · « **Reply #6 on:** April 18, 2003, 03:01:36 AM »

But is it right to stop people from having children? They called it Eugenics in the 30's- Hitler forced it on the Jews, and most "first-world" countries (including America) sterilized retarded people.

Now granted- that probably WOULD solve the problem. If there are no children then this generation of ... hoodlums? Yea, that is a good word I suppose, anyway, they would be the last generation. But wouldn't it be a HUGE violation of everything America is supposed to stand for? I just feel like the country is drifting off course, but I don't know if there is an acceptable solution to the problem.

I don't really buy the 'racial' argument, I do buy the 'poverty' argument but trying to solve that problem would likely bankrupt the country and would also be a huge violation of what America 'stands for'. I just wonder if maybe Rome went through similar troubles before they eventually just collapsed under their own weight.

StSanta · « **Reply #7 on:** April 18, 2003, 03:04:07 AM »

Yah as others have said; the problem isn't Americans, really. The problem is parents not raising their kids.

It's the same in most other western societies, although it manifests itself more in the US.

Urchin, I personally think it's a dangerous development. Nowadays parents try to realize themselves more than they try to raise kids - kdids are just part of the self realization bit. And the kids become even more narcissistic than their parents. In just 15 years things have changed a lot. No idea where this is heading.

Saintaw · « **Reply #8 on:** April 18, 2003, 03:05:23 AM »

You don't have a monopoly in that, violence is rising on this side too.

What our western-society is looking for now is nothing more than entertainment, at any price.

StSanta · « **Reply #9 on:** April 18, 2003, 03:06:56 AM »

Well said Saw, well said.

Now I am going sky diving. Am sure my chute although broken can hold up to another few dives

Saintaw · « **Reply #10 on:** April 18, 2003, 03:14:37 AM »

Just use your underwear as a backup, I'm sure it's large enough

PS: Vox is back in AH... we're waitin for you!

Vermillion · « **Reply #11 on:** April 18, 2003, 08:47:52 AM »

I think one of the problems is that in many western liberal democracies, the concept of "personal responsibility" is dead.

If little Johnny or Jane is naughty and vandalizes a neighbors house, it wasn't "their fault". And the parents will even defend them to the bitter end.

If someone is a mass murderer and goes to court, it "wasn't his fault, he had a bad childhood".

An act of road rage? A bad day at work.

And all the rest of the bull****. Too many excuses, and not enough pointing the blame at where the blame should go.

ra · « **Reply #12 on:** April 18, 2003, 08:50:45 AM »

Dudes. It's a frikkin movie.

Wlfgng · « **Reply #13 on:** April 18, 2003, 09:05:15 AM »

Quote

and the teacher blows his head off while taking the kids turn. The kid then gets upset and takes his turn, and blows his head off.

Tip #2 : when playing Russian roulette, remember to use only ONE bullet

Tip #3: don't play Russian roulette with anything other than a super-soaker

Rude · « **Reply #14 on:** April 18, 2003, 09:07:51 AM »

Ask me Urch, next time online....I'll fill ya in.

The answer is simple.