Uncomfortable PC

Within our society that pretends to be politically correct at all cost, it is difficult to address any real problems. I have personally worked with drug addicts, convicts and now I work as a detention monitor with Jr. High School students.

The interesting and perhaps sad thing about it is that certain demographic groups are disproportionately represented in all of these areas. In my experience, it has nothing to do with prejudice, and everything to do with the attitude of the individuals.

These attitudes seem to be passed from parents to their children. Wanton disregard for rules and almost complete defiance of authority is often ignored by the parents and embraced by the children. More likely, the children learn from the example of their parents. If the school continually sends discipline notices home and the parents ignore them, how will the child know to change? If the child refuses to serve detention and the parent will not intervene, what can the school do?

Street Culture seems to give status to those who behave badly. Such things as assault, robbery, theft, drug use, sexual conquest, having children out of wedlock with multiple partners, and even murder, are recognized in this “Bizarro World,” as achievements. Ironically, the same culture looks down on those who succeed academically or financially via legal means. Such persons are thought to be “sell-outs.”

No doubt it is easier to blame the entirety of society for being the cause of one’s problems. However, is it really a good thing in the 21st century, to pretend that your own bad behavior is a good thing and the resulting problems are the fault of others?
It is; however, politically and socially taboo to recognize that a particular group of people might be more inclined to such things. Those who want to prove that they are politically correct, or want to reserve the power of being a “victim,” or perhaps those with no first-hand knowledge of these cases, would ask for your resignation, or your head if you uttered such “blasphemies.”

I argue that pretending something doesn’t exist, or that it isn’t like it is, is insanity. It only keeps our society from recognizing and ultimately addressing a set of problems. I am not saying that there is any kind of deficiency going on, except for a real need to pass on a positive attitude to the next generation, and to leave the problems of the past in the past. To continually live within the confines of the past is destructive. It eliminates the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and make things better. To condone and grow such negative attitudes is incredibly destructive. The first step to fixing the problem, however, lies in the ability to identify, recognize, and admit that there is a problem. Political correctness has clouded our vision to some extent.

It is not a matter of prejudice that puts more students of a certain demographic in detention. It is the direct result of the individual's own behavior. It is the result of bad choices. It is the result of deciding to fight the system, anyone in authority, and to constantly undermine such things as kindness, academic success and the usual benefits that we all get if we follow rules, obey traffic laws and pay taxes.
KJC