Corruption of Our Young Peopel

[Grumpy]

From Insight Home Page

BOCA RATON, Florida (Reuters) - Corruption, whether in the form of crooked officials, financial fraudsters or even philandering sports stars, is tearing at the fabric of U.S. society and is the country's No. 1 criminal threat, a senior FBI agent said on Tuesday.

Addressing businessmen in Florida, where financial fraud cases jumped by 42 percent in the last year, FBI Miami Division Special Agent in Charge John Gillies said failures in personal ethics and integrity sowed the initial poisonous seeds of corruption in a society.

Gillies said transgressions by high-profile public servants and even perceived social role models, like top golfer Tiger Woods, currently embroiled in allegations that he had extramarital affairs, sent the signal to young Americans that cheating and stealing were acceptable.

"Where do our children learn this? They see us, their elected officials, their sports stars, they see how they act and they figure, 'well it's OK,'" he said, citing the case of Woods, whose early morning car accident in Florida last month triggered a storm of media questioning of his clean-living reputation.

"Money can't buy everything," Gillies said in a speech to the West Boca Chamber of Commerce in Boca Raton, Florida.

The special agent, who manages high-profile cases in Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America, in no way suggested Woods had committed any criminal offenses.

Florida police issued Woods a ticket for careless driving last week and said no criminal charges would be filed. He quickly paid the $164 fine, his lawyer said. Police also said no allegations of domestic violence were leveled.

He said public corruption investigations by the FBI were "huge" and had increased by more than 20 percent in the last five years, while financial scams -- from securities and hedge fund frauds to Ponzi schemes -- had jumped by more than 25 percent nationwide in the last year alone
Gillies, a 27-year veteran of the FBI, called corruption in all its multiple forms, whether in law enforcement or in the judicial system, or involving tax cheats and fraudsters, "our number one criminal threat" in the United States.

"It really gets at the soul and fabric of the United States when people are out there corrupting ... it all starts with simple ethics violations,"

[DJD]

I agree and throw in the Parents who have thrown in the towel on raising theirs kids for one reason or another.

[mhall]

I agree and throw in the Parents who have thrown in the towel on raising theirs kids for one reason or another.

Amen to that. But I will say being the most attentive parent in the world you can't shield them from all of what society brings these days. It's hard for me to believe what's on prime time television these days.

Heck Bill Clinton taught America and it's young people that some things aren't really sex.

I think alot of parents try hard, some don't that's for sure. Also the ones that do try hard their hands are tied by society as well. I mean God forbid you take a young fella to the good ole woodshed these days. If he goes to school and mentions it the Social worker Natzi's will be on your door step before sun up. Don't get me wrong I don't condone taking it to far but when I was young we would occassionally get in trouble and you can bet we would pay in School and at home.

We always knew where the line was and knew when we were going to far.

[pontooner]

Call me naive but I'm of the thinking that all most all of the ethics, morals....... kids learn comes from their parents. I know television can play a major role in sending the wrong kind of message to kids also but again parents can somewhat control that if they want.


Whith the divorce rate in this country over 50% and probably a majority of the reason being infidelity I think it's kind of wrong to cast blame else where in this case, such as on to sports stars, politicans.........


I know role models can play a major part in a kids life but I beleive there should be no bigger role model in a kids life than his parents.

[RoadToad]

I'm with Pontooner. If the actions of public figures are what's shaping a kid's world view, then that kid's parents have dropped the ball. If he or she even HAS parents, that is.

[Tim_T]

Call me naive but I'm of the thinking that all most all of the ethics, morals....... kids learn comes from their parents. I know television can play a major role in sending the wrong kind of message to kids also but again parents can somewhat control that if they want.


Whith the divorce rate in this country over 50% and probably a majority of the reason being infidelity I think it's kind of wrong to cast blame else where in this case, such as on to sports stars, politicans.........


I know role models can play a major part in a kids life but I beleive there should be no bigger role model in a kids life than his parents.

Ring the bell, I believe we have a winner. Nobody takes reponsibility any longer and passes the buck.

[apb]

Years ago my brother worked with delinquent kids. His experience pretty much echos what several people here have said: in the vast majority of cases of delinquent kids, the parents were pretty much no apart of the kids life. Either the parent was too busy, in trouble with the law/drugs/alchohol themself, or plain just did not care. In only a few cases did he meet a parent that showed a real interest in helping their kid.

Also agree with MHall, a little discipline when needed is not a bad thing.

Kids have to learn respect and to take responsibility for their actions. That starts at home.

Andrew

[GeoFisher]

I agree with what everyone else said here........BUT I also think that TV and Movies have a HUGE impact on social norms.......

* On TV, it is NORMAL to be divorced 1-2-3-4 times........Now that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, it is NORMAL to have sexual relations with befor Marriage........Now, that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, it is NORMAL to have homosexual relationships........Now, that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, is it OK to show life as Godless.........Now, that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, it is OK to RAPE and KILL.........Now, seems like that is the Norm in Society.

I'm not saying these things didn't exist before, but you CANNOT say that TV and Movies don't have an effect on our young people.

Later,

Geo

[Chubminnow]

Good parents can turn out bad kids, sometimes it's not the parents fault at all, it's just in the kid's gene's to be bad (I truly believe this).

On the flip side of the coin terrible parents can turn out surprisngly good kids...I think these kids are pften referred to as survivors and usually a child who comes from this survivor back ground does well in life....why? Because he or she doesn't want to turn out like their mom or their like dad.

Granted, good role models play a huge part, but a good role model doesn't make or break the child. A good role model makes a difference for sure, but doesn't bring any gaurantee's. I could go on and on, but won't....

[HURRICANEBOB]

Good post, made me stop and think.

I'm thinking of the young men and women in uniform that are serving us overseas. Voluntarily going in harms ways, multiple times, make sacrifices well beyond those most Americans are asked to make, and they are doing so optimistically, and with reverence for their country and their duty to it. They look out more for thei team than they do for themselves.

Then......I thought about what kind of magnificent job their parents must have done. Teaching responsibility, teaching selflessness, self-sacrifice for a greater good, teaching the value of a person is in his service to others and higher causes.

And then it came to me, there will always be those who get it right, and those who don't, but for the most part, what I see in youth is encouraging.

Its just that sometimes those that act irresponsibily seem to get more acclaim for their unacceptable behavior than those who do it right.

[HURRICANEBOB]

I agree with what everyone else said here........BUT I also think that TV and Movies have a HUGE impact on social norms.......

* On TV, it is NORMAL to be divorced 1-2-3-4 times........Now that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, it is NORMAL to have sexual relations with befor Marriage........Now, that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, it is NORMAL to have homosexual relationships........Now, that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, is it OK to show life as Godless.........Now, that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, it is OK to RAPE and KILL.........Now, seems like that is the Norm in Society.

I'm not saying these things didn't exist before, but you CANNOT say that TV and Movies don't have an effect on our young people.

Later,

Geo

I won't call them the norm, lest I be judged well below normal as a hetero, married once for 29 years, non-rapist, kinda guy. All of what you speak was going on before TV's were even made. So there we agree. Newspapers are as guilt as TV, they both highlight the "news" and sensationalize. Given movies and TV has such an impact, why aren't there more kids running around in Bart Simspon T shrts, or wearing Jurassic Park Hats? When was the last time anyone saw a kid wearing a PAC-MAN t-shrt?

I don't think these things are the norm. I think we are all just more aware of there existence.

Homo the norm? Well, that would be one way to reduce overpopulation! :-)

[pontooner]

I agree with what everyone else said here........BUT I also think that TV and Movies have a HUGE impact on social norms.......

* On TV, it is NORMAL to be divorced 1-2-3-4 times........Now that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, it is NORMAL to have sexual relations with befor Marriage........Now, that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, it is NORMAL to have homosexual relationships........Now, that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, is it OK to show life as Godless.........Now, that is the Norm in Society.
* On TV, it is OK to RAPE and KILL.........Now, seems like that is the Norm in Society.

I'm not saying these things didn't exist before, but you CANNOT say that TV and Movies don't have an effect on our young people.

Later,

Geo

You might be right but it is really more of a which came first the chicken or the egg kinda scenario for me. Maybe TV adapted their shows to the life style by which people were living to appeal and draw people in. Of course a few of the things you list as being normal don't apply but most could. Some of the things are just there for the shock value.

I think TV can skew a kids view on how things should be or are but it should not be whats teaching them their morals/values.

Also Chub, I know a very strict religious family (no tv, no shorts, dresses only for the women) that had 2 kids and one just plain rebelled when he got out into the world on his own, the other kid is carrying on the familys way of life. It just happens sometime when the reigns are pulled to tight.