Plato saw it
Every day, it seems, we are regaled through the media with stories of truancy, theft, muggings, disrespect to the elderly and those in authority by juvenile delinquents. Incidents involving firearms and knives are now being reported, with an occasional homicide making headlines.
The full-page story in the Northern Advocate issue of Saturday January 4, and the more recent article last Saturday on youthful bullying and assault that was sparked off by the disgraceful assault on Craig Cooper's daughter, while drawing attention to a specific intolerable incident, does not, with the greatest respect, really tell the whole story.
In some respects society is reaping the harvest of PC gone mad and governments yielding to public pressure and emasculating the proper role of parents and those responsible for the upbringing of children in their care. The outlawing of remedies to halt the ever-increasing arrogance and irresponsibility of youth will not make society a better place.
This is not an entirely new phenomenon. Plato, nearly 2500 years ago, foresaw the consequences of ill-disciplined youth, and as a consequence, we as a modern society have to relearn the lessons that as ageing parents we were teaching up until a mere 30 - 50 years ago.
"When fathers become accustomed to letting their children do whatever they want, and when sons no longer take notice of their word; when teachers are frightened of their pupils and prefer to pander to them; when ultimately the young have no respect for laws because they no longer acknowledge the authority of anything or anyone beyond themselves; it's there in all its beauty and youth, the beginnings of tyranny." Plato.
When it is possible for youth to violate the simple but basic principles of honesty, respect for property and other people, and especially the elderly, without consequences, truly we have anarchy.
Who then is to blame? Is it not time to review the stupidity of the so-called enlightened legislation of the past 30 years? Parents have an obligation to teach their children the value of civilised behaviour, honesty, respect for others, especially their elders, and the care of property. This is the only way civilisation and democratic societies can exist, let alone thrive and prosper. That this not happening as it should be is recorded daily in the news stories of truancy, bag-snatching, bashings, insolence.
How then to reverse the flooding tide of insubordination and quasi insurrection? It would be very easy to say repeal the 'Anti-spanking' law and bring back the cane in our schools. A good quick solution, perhaps, because youth have to learn that there are consequences for unacceptable behaviour and actions, and the best time to learn is at Mother's knee.
This seemingly insurmountable problem is further compounded by the almost continuous glamourising of brutality, even homicide, through the medium of television and video tapes or CDs. Given this degree of indoctrination, is it any wonder that old norms of acceptable social conduct are not only being ignored but are fast being supplanted with the least desirable traits of human behaviour?
These increasing numbers of reports of incidents involving youth where disrespect, bashings, theft, and now murders, make extremely disturbing reading. This does not take into account the volume of incidents that do not get reported for a variety of reasons, which can include family embarrassment.
These statistics highlight the incompetence of ineffectual or downright useless legislation that has usurped the proper role of parenting and teaching, which has hamstrung those parents who seemingly are now helpless to properly bring their wayward offspring to heel.
Society used to enjoy the assistance of agencies such as the police force and headmasters who could administer some deterrent when and as required. Both have been neutered, and yet we still expect them to make up for the deficiencies in parenting responsibilities.
When a misdemeanour has been committed, retribution or consequence, to be effective, must be administered right there and then. Children are fundamentally fair-minded. They know when they have been naughty, and they instinctively learn lessons if punishment is delivered quickly and appropriate to the occasion or offence.
It is absolutely essential for them to learn that there are consequences for unacceptable behaviour, and as parents we are letting them down badly if they are not taught at an early age the difference between right and wrong.
Unless something of this nature is instituted, and soon, the already clogged judicial system will collapse and anarchy will rule, just as Plato predicted. When will we ever learn? Failure to instil and achieve the accepted norms established over the centuries can only result in unacceptable behaviour, such as society is experiencing today, with much hand-wringing and the shocking media headlines.
This is election year. What better time to have the subject aired where and when any opportunity presents itself and demand positive solutions from whatever aspiring politician is brave enough to honestly address the issue?
This may seem like passing the buck, but short of bringing back the birch, seriously, what other alternative is there?
SHAUN REILLY
Kaikohe
News snippets from the Far North.