Where Have Human Values Gone?

Times are always changing, not always for the better, but lately things seem to have spiralled out of control in so many ways. The recent incident with Miley Cyrus brought home how much family vaues have disintegrated. What were her family and her agents thinking? She is 15 years old and while certainly brought up more exposed to the world than most kids, this was such a stupid thing to do. On one hand people are trying to figure out how to keep perverts from doing harm to children, and on the other the media publishes such pictures without a qualm. No thought ever seems to be given to anything except how much money will be generated from any reaction. What is wrong with Vanity Fair to do sucha photo shoot? What is wrong with her parents allowing it? What about her agents? Miley is a teen and while nowadays they seem to have the upper hand and be in control, we all know that really is disaster waiting to happen. Miley needs to know what consequences her actions can have. I suppose she would be surprised to have some creepy stalker grab her and do terrible things to her but the adults surrounding her surely wouldn't be. What possible goodness could result from those pictures?

Television seems to be totally out of control. From these ridiculous 'reality' shows we now have sunk to a new low... Dexter. Do I get this series right? We are now seeing a serial killer as some kind of a hero? What could possible follow this? Soon we will have shows where the child gunmen shooting up schools are the good guys. I am sure there is a way to spin it so that it is good, maybe they are teaching lessons to bullies and burned out teachers and parents.

It seems to me, in my old fashioned mind, that nothing good has come from the loss of respecting your elders. Because some people abused children, we decided that children should not fear nor respect their elders. Gone is the polite Mr. and Mrs. titles adults were given, gone is the control we once had over the whereabouts of our teenagers and childen, gone is the control over what they spend their money on, what they say or do. Few children are even taught manners anymore. They are taught to be fearful of strangers and that they can say and do what they like without consequence, then they are often dressed like baby hookers and sent out into the world. The strange thing is that what the loss of respect was supposed to do, teach children tat they do not have to be afraid of adults so they will cry out against abusers, has not happened at all. Abusers still abuse children and these children are still afraid of adults.

Children need to be taught discipline, rules, manners and respect, and why it is important to have them. They need to be taught how to spend money wisely and prepare for the future. They need to be taught good behavior and helping one's neighbor. They need to know that it is better to wait for something they want, that the getting of it is all the sweeter. They need to be taught human kindness and appreciation for the environment. They need to be taught that there are consequences for their actions. They do not need to know that people will do almost anything for money.