Five Things I would Change About the World for My Children ***Write off submission***
Nov 19 '00
We all wish for our children to have a long, happy, fulfilling life. I don’t wish to choose the path that leads my daughters to complete this journey, but I would like to remove some of the obstacles along the way. I’ve thought long and hard about what five things I would change, even before this write off was posted. From the moment I knew my two beautiful girls would be entering my life, I wanted to make this world a better place for them than it has been for me.
For those of you who have been keeping up with my current reviews and some of my comments, you will know that three themes are recurring: Consideration, responsibility, and forgiveness. To these three that I feel are most important, I find that an end to violence, especially against children, and an end to prejudice/racism fall closely behind. In fact if the first three are accomplished, the latter will happen naturally.
Consideration
Webster defines consideration as “thoughtful and sympathetic regard.”
This really is a simple and universal idea. Call it kindness, the Golden Rule, walking a mile in someone’s shoes, whatever you wish, it is the same thing. If everyone took into account the thoughts and feelings of others before taking an action, there are many terrible things that occur everyday that would cease to exist.
Consider the developmental stages of a child. Prior to the age of four of five, a child has only one perspective of the world, his own. During this time, children often hit, bite, pinch, and generally hurt others. You always see parents reasoning with their child, “How do you think that made Bobby feel?” The child can’t answer on his own. He may give the correct response, but that is usually because he’s heard it said before.
One day, a new sense of others develops. That same child begins to realize that others have feelings as he does. Quickly, his actions change. This accounts for some of his change in behavior around this age.
This also applies to feeding the hungry or healing the sick and poor. There is more than enough food and medicine the world over to care for each and every one of us. You’ve all heard the commercials, “For pennies a day, you too can feed a child.” Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, this is the truth. People are starving the world over because not everyone feels they can spare that extra trip to the movies, or dinner out. Why not give up a name brand and pass the savings on to a charity.
Responsibility
Again, I will look to Webster for the definition: a moral, legal, or mental accountability. Think about cases that have been heard in our nation’s courts over the past several years. It’s becoming more and more common to find some new unbelievable defense making headlines. Remember the “Twinkie” defense? Someone claimed that the artificial chemicals in a Twinkie made them commit violent acts!
How about the Menendez brothers? They felt justified in killing their parents because of the abuse they had suffered in the past. Although I am sympathetic to their plight, this was not an immediate act of self-defense.
It’s also not uncommon to hear people use the fact that they were abused by their parents as an excuse for committing this same horrible act against their children. Somewhere, someone has to realize that they can break that chain. Others have done it, so can they.
It’s time that WE ALL realize that we are accountable for our own actions. We cannot continue to blame our shortcomings on others. At some point it is our responsibility, and if we chose to break the law, hurt another, or simply lie to a loved one, it was our choice in the end. No one made us do it. If that means the court system holding us to a harsh punishment, then so-be-it. Maybe more people would think before they acted.
Once again, this doesn’t only account for our actions, but our inaction as well. Failing to help those in need is just as much a crime as hurting others. We should all take responsibility to pass on our good fortune to others.
Forgiveness
I really like Mr. Webster today, let’s see what he has to say about this one. “To cease to feel resentment against; or to give up resentment of or claim to requital for.“ All of us are bound to make mistakes at some point. We are only human after all.
Once we have taken responsibility for our lack of consideration, and admitted our mistake, whether big or small, it is only right for the party we have wronged to be forgiving. This is a very difficult one to accomplish. Even the best of us find ourselves battling anger and resentment toward someone who has deeply hurt us. Yet again, it is only the one holding the resentment that is truly hurt. Anger causes bodily stress and tension. A long lasting grudge has even been known to cause heart disease.
Don’t forget the effect our stifled feelings can have on the loved ones around us that are not the focus of our hurt. For those of you who know the metaphor, do you begin the chain that makes the little guy kick the cat?
As I stated earlier, if the former three could be accomplished, then my final two would be basically eliminated.
Violent acts are committed against children every day.
From a beating by a loved one, to a kidnapping by a stranger, or even torture by war, our children are being hurt. They are our defenseless future. By allowing these things to happen, we are only allowing our future to be harmed.
Prejudice and racism has become a part of our lives.
This is so very sad. The world over, people are looked down upon because of the color of their skin, their religion, or their financial situation. This is a sad occurrence that results from ignorance and fear, definitely two things we could do without.
These are the five things I would like to change. I would like to thank MiniNut and Arnamenta for hosting this write off, and I encourage you to go visit the reviews of the other participants.
Mininut-Bestpay-arnamenta-Badtzgirl-bpotter1-Alkaiser-HawgWyld- blackcat2-lansky2000-JeannieKerns-karmiausnic-lonelyladyk fragglemom-maddi-missy32-pisces61-Shanny21-My3Lilmen-AmberM-retta1967 shantel575-stereotomy-Najusa-whisper-Bryrrose-tchoate-debbie26-JDinPA JulieWahm-Daphnye-mkp51-magick1-carneys_id-iamtinamarie-cjsmommy-fallyn96 beckish-29th_candidate –UnovelGirl - Mommie2kk-sheann26-chrisjarmick presleysmama-msmorvay-chele316 - ClaraNielsen
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hlcooper75
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Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
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