The Final Indignance

[Sigel James Civ 10 ABW/LGCW <James.Sigel@usafa.af.mil>]

Jon (and Jon):

>Jim, did I ever E-mail you off list? I know that I havent in the last few 

>months at least.

Argh.  This happens with age I suppose.  Ever since I carelessly left my
youth behind and became the My Generation hypocrite, my mind seems to be
getting weaker... weaker...  Sorry for hurling such horrid accusations.  I
beg that my detractors get the facts "straight" and here I go and do the
same damn thing.  Apologies extended.  Maybe I ought not to delete messages
so quickly.  I can't even go back and see who I did actually talk to off
list.  Head in toilet - flush.

>I haven't ever been accused of reeking of intellect

Believe it or not, that was a compliment...

Keets:

>But Nicole's right in pointing out that they're only imitating their
elders.

I do agree with you and Nicole somewhat, but only somewhat.  The point that
they're imitating their elders is pretty obvious, however, it only goes to
further my theory about how messed up they are.  Don't kid yourself (no pun
intended).  Kids have been imitating adult behavior ever since Adam hooked
up with Eve.  Ever since guns were invented, kids wanted to be Davy Crockett
shooting savage Indians, Gen. Lee taking on Grant, cops and robbers, D-Day,
etc, etc, etc...  As long as weaponry has existed, adults really haven't set
the greatest of examples for kids.  That fact hasn't changed since the
beginning of Time.  What HAS changed is that this particular generation has
taken it a step further.  Maybe it doesn't ring a bell with most people but
it does with me.  Bad examples have abounded for centuries, and all of a
sudden, it's these poor misguided kiddies imitating adult behavior.  Phooey!
After Capone had nine guys blown to smithereens, you didn't read about kids
in the 20s blowing away their tormentors.  And every kid heard about that.
Bonnie and Clyde didn't make a whole generation start robbing banks and
killing cops.  Hitler didn't inspire a generation to take over the world.
The Kefeavor (sp?) hearings didn't inspire a generation of gangsters.  The
killings of Kennedy squared and MLK didn't spawn a generation of assassins.
Charlie Manson didn't influence invading homes and slaughtering the
inhabitants.  The Iran Hostage Crisis didn't start a rash of kidnappings.
Nobody went out to be like Ted Bundy (excepting a sick few of course).  The
LA riots didn't inspire youngsters to riot, excepting those in LA mind you.
Notice that these are examples of major societal significance spanning from
the 1920s to today, and I honestly can't name an instance where teenagers
went out and imitated the adult example, as you and Nicole explain it.  It
seems apparent that this generation somehow lost the ability to decide right
and wrong along the way.  Spooky.

>I have a theory about Ms. Britney. 

And that's a theory I definitely agree with.  We need more old fashioned
role models.  I've read that Atilla the Hun was actually a pretty nice,
gentle guy.  :-)

>Why that age-group? Like I said 12-13 is the most desirable.

Yes, it IS the most desirable, but marketing The Who to them isn't
realistic.  Hell, Barney the Gay Dinosaur isn't realistic to that
demographic anymore.

>You certainly have written a book here.

The Life and Times of a Cynical Old Man?

>Kids eventually turn into their parents.

You got it and THAT speaks VOLUMES!!!!  I ain't touchin' that one with a ten
foot pole...  Man am I biting my lip on that one.  See, I can be civil!
Argh.., must move onto the next topic or the parents will feel my wrath
next....

>One very serious problem is the limited time that parents now have to spend


>with their children.

Again, very true.  Could this be a result of the Feminist movement?  Back
when kids were just little "bastards" instead of "swine", Mom used to be at
home...  Ohhhh, I'm treading on dangerously thin ice, ain't I?  Walkin' the
tightrope...  I could write another book on that, but if I got going, some
people here might shoot my porch light out annually for such an outrage.
One pure and easy fact - the truth hurts sometimes.

>and even 

>when they're home, they have no idea how to teach their children

How many people do you know who let the TV babysit the kids?  I'm ashamed to
say I know far too many.  Seems like kids get a better education from TV
than school.

>As a whole, today's 

>kids have a social consciousness that was absent from earlier generations, 

But doesn't that scare you a little too?  How can you have a healthy social
consciousness when you're too young to benefit from experience?  They simply
aren't old enough to understand the game.  A social consciousness inspired
by Dr. Dre???  Notice how many white-bread, upper middle class kids all talk
like "dey frum da ghetto"?  Somehow, a bunch of socially conscious kids
think they actually understand the black experience and never met a black
person.  Yikes!  Social consciousness through naievity can backfire.

>We'll have to see where these things lead.

That's the purpose of my ravings.  I'm afraid of where it's leading and I'd
like to take an alternate route!  Pull over at the Conoco station, I'm
asking for directions!

>Many adults could do with a good whacking, as well.

Agreed!  Kev Mc is an example that it can do a person good!

>There's been quite a 

>push for abstention in the last few years.

About as effective as the anti-smoking PSAs too...

>Also, the restructuring of the 

>welfare system has removed the government support for irresponsible sex.

By mentioning welfare, I'm assuming you're referring to poor/urban kids.  My
niece is 13 and a freshman in high school.  She's upper middle class and has
only seen black people, poor people, urbanites on TV.  My sister (her
Mother) won't allow cable TV in the house because she doesn't want the kids'
brains melting watching MTV.  In my niece's school, another 13yr old was
caught giving a blow job to another freshman.  So of course, the school
called in the Crisis Intervention team to handle it.  They polled the kids
and the results were scary.  In the Freshman class, the stats were like
this:  Students who've already engaged in sexual intercourse:  70%.  100% of
the freshman believed that oral sex was NOT sex and it was okay.  "All the
kids do it".  I'm getting sick.  Time to drop this one; I think you got the
point.

>Hey, younger fans, why were there riots and rapes at 

>Woodstock '99 and not at '69?

Too easy for me to comment... ;-)

Gen Walk:

>you old farts sicken me. 

Speak up Sonny Boy, I'm a little hard of hearing.  Did you say, "these old
darts chicken pee"???  See, these young whipper snappers don't make any
sense...

Anna:

You give me hope.  Hope that there are some young people with respect and
more importantly, hope that I ain't the only radical kid-hater out there!
Bless you.  If I wasn't married already, I'd ask you to be "Mrs.
Antichrist".

Jeff:

>Is it possible that Jim is watching a little too much Sally Jesse,
Springer, 

>Maury, Ricki, etc. ?.

That is the logical question isn't it?  Nah, I swore off the White-Trash
Olympics years ago.  I don't even tune in during the sweeps for all that T
and A anymore.  Besides, the Mexican channel has enough T and A where I
don't need to hear Jerry's insane rhetoric anymore.  Caliente!!!

Mark:

>Nice try, but claiming the sanctity of life yet insisting on the death

>penalty is not logical or even well thought out.

Well Mark, I guess I wasn't all that clear in being so concise...  I know
you're feeling that I'm singling out extreme liberals, so I feel I should
make this point one more time.  The liberals aren't full of shit and the
conservatives aren't full of shit either.  They BOTH are.  There.  Now you
shouldn't feel so singled out.

>You just contridicted yourself.

Hey!  NOW you're getting it!  In case you missed it, that contidiction was
deliberate.  A kind of example to show how extreme lefties and righties
contridict each other and stalemate society as a result.  You might see the
light yet!  You go guy!  Keep up the good work.

>It's a bit "deeper" if you know the song.

I do know it.  But if you really want exceptional Kinks, go out and buy
"Schoolboys in Disgrace".  It's an even better example for this discussion.
It's about a kid who fucks up big time, but actually accepts responsibility
for fucking up.  I know, a vague concept but still a rockin' album.

>WHO would drug their kids?????

You mean it's possible?!?  Where do I get some literature????  Halloween has
just taken a whole new life for me!!!  (Okay, put your keyboards down - I
was only kidding!  Sheesh, can't anyone take a joke anymore?)

Nicole:

>I am not pissed at you, nor am I bitching or calling you the antichrist. 

Awww, I actually was liking that name.  But I am glad that you're not
pissed; that wasn't the plan.

>Alright, fine. I don't really feel like getting into this anymore.

You're right.  I don't either.  Like me, it's getting old.  The withering
old age of 35...  even my ass has dropped to the floor.

>I better get back to my sty now, the other swine are starting to miss me.

>:) (I'm starting to have fun with this)

>Don't worry Jim, I'm not mad at you either. I guess we're just gonna have

>to agree to disagree on this one.

A very sound proposal - agreed.  And be careful with that sty door - we
don't want any curly tails getting stuck when the door closes.  :-)  After
all, you have a society to run in a few years...

Well then.  Wasn't that fun?  I'm thinking that this topic has peaked and is
now on the downswing.  Good.  Believe it or not, I do respect all of your
views, even Mark's, but it's time to move on.

And as a professional service - free of charge, I offer my cynical views to
each and every one of you as a token of my appreciation to this list.  I've
been a card carrying member of The Who Digest for several years now and this
topic has been one for the books.  If I can piss off any of you to liven up
your day, please feel free to ask.  It would be my pleasure.  Perhaps a kind
of advice column if you will.  Here, allow me to start with an example.

Dear Jim, how is it that you can be a Who fan and still be such a
contemptable son of a bitch?  Signed, Your Worst Nightmare

Dear Worst,  Mark might disagree, but I was born that way.

Peace and love Wholigans,

Jim in Colo Springs

"If you don't stop that, I'm gonna smack you..."  Pete Townshend to
unidentified daughter (child).