"Tolerance"

I read some news tonight that simply disgusted me.  Both national and local news. 

1 - Cleveland, Ohio:  A 53 year old man shoots an 11 year old girl who was playing on his front lawn.

2 - Spartanburg, South Carolina:  A man tosses his girlfriend off the balcony while her toddler is in the apartment.

3 - Greenville, South Carolina:  A man runs his car into a deputy sheriff who is blocking the street in front of a fallen tree, backs up and tries to run him over.

I mean - seriously!  What is up people?  It’s really disturbing how people treat each other - but not surprising.

Now, none of this hasn't been said by anyone - yet.  But my crystal ball tells me that someone has already murmured the words "see, we need more gun control" or "look, more domestic violence in South Carolina."  But I have a different take on it. 

This is bound to irritate any of my readers that have even the slightest hint of a liberal philosophy.  Just be warned! 

The three things that really upset me from tonight's news are not going to be fixed by any government action.  Uncle Sam and the "great nanny state" are the problem - not the solution.  The problem starts because parents are systematically being pushed into the back seat of their children's upbringing. 

My case in point - Dateline:  Texas.  A family court judge ruled this week that the law now states that spanking children is a crime.  I am not a lawyer, law maker, nor a Texas citizen - but can someone tell me when the Texas legislature (or any state) passed a no spanking law?  Has such a law been publically debated anywhere?  Or was it crafted in the shadows, and stuffed on the end of some obscure bill.

Spanking a child is not abuse.  Beating a child with intent to cause bodily harm is abuse.  Yes, there are abused children, and yes I believe we should protect those children.  But philosophically 'throwing the baby out with the bath water' and criminalizing corporal punishment is not the answer.

Schools are supposed to be a place where children learn knowledge - how to read and write, do math, and think critically.  Instead, children are taught from an early age how to pass tests and are fed a politically spun history that sympathizes with liberal extremists.  Further, they are taught how to supplant discipline in the home by calling child protective services or police if they feel threatened in any way.  A child - whose physiological lack of ability to make a good decision (their brain is literally incapable of advance cognitive decision making and complex reason) - is encouraged to second guess their parent by our educators.  Don't believe me, ask your third grader.  Kids end up learning that limits don't exist, individual responsibility is not necessary, to assign blame onto anyone but themselves and to be 'tolerant' of others.

Adults learn the same things too.  The media spoon feeds us a misguided social requirement to be politically correct and tolerant of other's.  I totally agree with tolerance - I want my beliefs to be tolerated too.  But tolerance has become the basis to excuse a myriad of immoral behaviors.  Tolerance also is the basis by which my beliefs are publically belittled.  It is in the name and spirit of tolerance that the mere public mention of Christianity sparks hateful scorn.  Any suggestions at public Christian prayer are scoffed by special interest groups, atheists, or the members of any group that can't deal with the fact that the Bible's truth irradiates them with conviction for their immorality.  It’s ok to preach secular humanism, atheism, or any existentialist philosophy.  In the spirit of tolerance, we will change the millennia’s old definition of marriage, and even present legislation to force the acceptance of such.  Tolerance is ok for and good for anything that attacks Christianity and traditional conservatism.  Just be "tolerant."

Imagine this; it's easy if you try! (Thank you Mr. John Lennon)  Mostly because it’s how a great deal of us were raised.  And notice the complete lack of government in these solutions.  I am really curious how tolerant any liberal would be of any of them.

First, allow parents to teach their kids simple priorities for life:  God, Family, Country - and then self. 
Second, allow parents to teach their children right from wrong - not leave it up to the schools to teach. 
Third, let parents discipline their own children when they do wrong.

I submit these three very simple things would have the following outcomes:  Adults talking to other adults - not shooting their kids, or running over police officers who are trying to keep you safe.  Men loving women - not throwing them from balconies - because they were taught to do so by keeping simple priorities.

Your thoughts and comments welcome, as always.