We all like to look back on things and examine them. The what ifs' in life. What if we have done this instead of that. Then we envision a better outcome for whatever it was. Did we really have a choice? That's something I find myself considering at times. I'm thinking that was all situational. Sometimes I had a choice, sometimes there was no other viable alternative. So I guess you could say my decisions were based on viability. Or at the very least what I believed to be viable. In retrospect many things I thought impossible where actually doable. Nowadays we are encouraged to tell our children they can do and be anything they want. Pointing out their lack of talent or ability isn't something we are supposed to do. Parents are supposed to just encourage and accept whatever their children decide. To do anything else brings your parenting skills into question. Go too far with that stuff and social services will be paying you a visit!
For me, looking back I was encouraged to do the right thing. Yes, it was what my parents, friends, and clergy thought were the right thing, but I was told that is what I should do. My personal ideas of right and wrong were secondary, what was important was doing the right thing. Making the right choice. That's not to say I was always successful in that, but I tried. That's why I made some choices that were contrary to what I actually wanted. Granted most of them were insignificant little things but there are a few biggies in there as well. The biggest that jumps to mind is joining the Navy after high school. Did I really want to do that? Well the truth is, I didn't have any other plan in mind and something was expected. I wasn't going to graduate high school and just hang around. That didn't seem like an option. I knew I wasn't going to college, that wasn't a viable option. Get a job, get a place of my own? Well, the Navy was a job. But what if? I had to make a choice, I chose to do the right thing. Turns out, it was the right thing but I still think, what if? What if my parents had just said, do whatever you like, no pressure.
Now this isn't about me joining the Navy. I just used that as an example. As I said it has mostly been insignificant little things but still my choices have been driven by a sense of what is right. I was taught the law is right. You may not like the law, you may not agree with the law, but you obey the law! Your parents are the law. Sometimes there are laws to protect us from ourselves. Civil law works in much the same way. Laws are made to protect us, sometimes to protect us from each other. Yes you can petition to change laws but you do that according to, guess what, the law! That's correct, breaking the law to change the law is breaking the law. What if that weren't so? Then you have anarchy. That isn't the right thing. In my house, growing up, that would be met with punishment, depending upon the severity of the infraction, corporal punishment. It was an effective deterrent! If nothing else it gave me pause. And sometimes that is all we need, a break to think about things. Also seeing others paying for their crimes served as a warning, this could be you. I didn't hear many excuses, many explanations why the person committed that crime, what I heard was they had broken the law. They had a chance to explain all that to the judge, if they are in jail it's because they broke the law.
That's what I see looking back. What are the kids of today going to look back on? Protests and excuses. If you don't like something, protest it or boycott it! That's what I'm seeing on a regular basis. Excuses abound for everything and anything. It's not your fault. It's someones else's. Charity is to be expected, in fact, receiving charity is a right! You can even start an account for that. Want something. start a go fund me account, just ask for charity. If you don't get it you can probably sue someone. If you have a phone. or the internet, you have a lawyer! And that is what lawyers are for, to sue somebody or something! Because we are teaching our children that justice is, monetary compensation. Punishing the criminal isn't the way to go, they should be treated with respect, given consul, rehabilitated, maybe even funds for a new start in life! Justice is served when I receive monetary compensation not when the criminal is punished.
I don't know, reading over this I guess I'm just wondering what the kids today are being taught. What is right and wrong? I wonder if we aren't teaching our children that right is whatever they feel like doing at the time. Well because we are not supposed to judge. If I tell you that something is bad that you feel is good, I'm judging you. We shouldn't do that. Funny thing is, I was taught to exercise good judgement. It is what was expected. As I said I wasn't always successful but I used my best judgement. And judgement is impartial. It's supposed to be anyway. That's why lady justice is blindfolded. You know her, she holds the scales of justice in her hand. Now if I can't judge between good and bad how do I know what side of the scale to put things on?
A scale uses weight to tip the balance. Thing is weights are constants. They are always the same. Without a constant the scales don't tell us much. I'm just looking back at the constants in my life. Those are what I use to judge. Right and wrong don't change. It is only what we accept as right and wrong that changes. But, can we change the constants? I don't think so.
For me, looking back I was encouraged to do the right thing. Yes, it was what my parents, friends, and clergy thought were the right thing, but I was told that is what I should do. My personal ideas of right and wrong were secondary, what was important was doing the right thing. Making the right choice. That's not to say I was always successful in that, but I tried. That's why I made some choices that were contrary to what I actually wanted. Granted most of them were insignificant little things but there are a few biggies in there as well. The biggest that jumps to mind is joining the Navy after high school. Did I really want to do that? Well the truth is, I didn't have any other plan in mind and something was expected. I wasn't going to graduate high school and just hang around. That didn't seem like an option. I knew I wasn't going to college, that wasn't a viable option. Get a job, get a place of my own? Well, the Navy was a job. But what if? I had to make a choice, I chose to do the right thing. Turns out, it was the right thing but I still think, what if? What if my parents had just said, do whatever you like, no pressure.
Now this isn't about me joining the Navy. I just used that as an example. As I said it has mostly been insignificant little things but still my choices have been driven by a sense of what is right. I was taught the law is right. You may not like the law, you may not agree with the law, but you obey the law! Your parents are the law. Sometimes there are laws to protect us from ourselves. Civil law works in much the same way. Laws are made to protect us, sometimes to protect us from each other. Yes you can petition to change laws but you do that according to, guess what, the law! That's correct, breaking the law to change the law is breaking the law. What if that weren't so? Then you have anarchy. That isn't the right thing. In my house, growing up, that would be met with punishment, depending upon the severity of the infraction, corporal punishment. It was an effective deterrent! If nothing else it gave me pause. And sometimes that is all we need, a break to think about things. Also seeing others paying for their crimes served as a warning, this could be you. I didn't hear many excuses, many explanations why the person committed that crime, what I heard was they had broken the law. They had a chance to explain all that to the judge, if they are in jail it's because they broke the law.
That's what I see looking back. What are the kids of today going to look back on? Protests and excuses. If you don't like something, protest it or boycott it! That's what I'm seeing on a regular basis. Excuses abound for everything and anything. It's not your fault. It's someones else's. Charity is to be expected, in fact, receiving charity is a right! You can even start an account for that. Want something. start a go fund me account, just ask for charity. If you don't get it you can probably sue someone. If you have a phone. or the internet, you have a lawyer! And that is what lawyers are for, to sue somebody or something! Because we are teaching our children that justice is, monetary compensation. Punishing the criminal isn't the way to go, they should be treated with respect, given consul, rehabilitated, maybe even funds for a new start in life! Justice is served when I receive monetary compensation not when the criminal is punished.
I don't know, reading over this I guess I'm just wondering what the kids today are being taught. What is right and wrong? I wonder if we aren't teaching our children that right is whatever they feel like doing at the time. Well because we are not supposed to judge. If I tell you that something is bad that you feel is good, I'm judging you. We shouldn't do that. Funny thing is, I was taught to exercise good judgement. It is what was expected. As I said I wasn't always successful but I used my best judgement. And judgement is impartial. It's supposed to be anyway. That's why lady justice is blindfolded. You know her, she holds the scales of justice in her hand. Now if I can't judge between good and bad how do I know what side of the scale to put things on?
A scale uses weight to tip the balance. Thing is weights are constants. They are always the same. Without a constant the scales don't tell us much. I'm just looking back at the constants in my life. Those are what I use to judge. Right and wrong don't change. It is only what we accept as right and wrong that changes. But, can we change the constants? I don't think so.
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