Kids These Days.

Kids!
I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!
Kids!
Who can understand anything they say?
Kids!
They a disobedient, disrespectful oafs!
Noisy, crazy, dirty, lazy, loafers!
While we're on the subject:
Kids!
You can talk and talk till your face is blue!
Kids!
But they still just do what they want to do!

Lyrics by Lee Adams, music by Charles Strouse.
From the musical Bye Bye Birdie.


Nice picture,huh? No that was not done by Jack Nicholson in The Shining. It was done by 22 year old, I hesitate to call him a man, Robert Tuttle of Englewood,Florida. Why did he do it? According to his mother, he lives at home, he had been drinking when around midnight he got violent. He grabbed an axe and destroyed the kitchen before taking the axe to his bedroom door. Tuttle also took a swing at his mother, but fortunately she was able to dodge the blow. He then forced his mother into his bedroom and forced her to watch movies with him. After he passed out she was able to call police. Officers found a sword, an expandable baton, and some marijuana. An arrest was made and Tuttle is being held without bond.

When I read that I thought it was a sad tale but not blog worthy. Then I ran across a similar story, again in Florida, this time in Fort Meyers. 17 year old Rachel Anne Hachero seemed to have every thing going for her. She was an honor student, had been written about in the local paper, and had been accepted by several Ivy League schools. I would not be surprised if that acceptance becomes denial. Ms Hachero wanted a 2004 Nissan 305Z and wanted her mother to co-sign for it. Mom refused and was threatened with death. Rachel then acquired a pistol, pistol-whipped mom and forced her to co-sign for the car. Mom later searched Rachel's purse, got the gun and found some drugs in it. She called the police but did not want to press charges. The police disagreed and arrested Rachel.

That is part of the problem with kids today. Nobody holds them accountable, especially their parents. I remember my Dad telling us that if we ever got into trouble he would stand by us, but we would have to face the consequences of our actions. Sometimes tough love is called for. It is never nice, but necessary.