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Because we have been too busy being world leader pretend! Ok more detailed answer... Several reasons

!) over the past couple generations children have been taught they can do no wrong. They aslo have been taught to cry wolf. Child abuse is a horrible thing so those who are smart enough tell parents that they will turn them in for abuse even if they are not being abused.. Now those being abused which numbers are growing, alcoholism, drugs. Substance abuse makes ya lose yourb compassion, ethics. Products of their environment.

2) Police seem to be more corrupt..

3) lack of education.. Education hads been severely downplayed in this country.. Bush set the tone for "might makes right"

4) Country has become a country of Narsiccists (sp) I, me mine..

5) everyone is a critic, but no one seems to take a real look at themselves..

6) more later.....

Sad, but have to agree. Our youngest daughter tried the "crying wolf" with her mother. Told her she'd turn her in for child abuse, because we wouldn't let a 13 go to a concert on her own. Her mother's reply, what makes you think you'll make it to the phone? Ended the argument and mama never raised a finger.

As for the cops, I'll agree there are some, but I don't think their numbers are all that large. My gut tells me that they lay their lives on the line everyday, to protect us, bring in the bad guys and the legal systems turns them loose. In Minnesota a few years back, the cops where accused of profiling African Americans. Now the neighborhood was loaded with CRIPS, BLOODS, and MS13 gangs, so how is this profiling? If they have to use deadly force, people question it. Yes, there have been cases of "bad" shootings by them, but to date I haven't found anyone who wants to go through the door first.

Education in this country, for the most part, is more of survival then education. A week or so ago, just north of where I live a teacher was stabbed by a student. I can't remember being searched when I was going to school, but it seems common place now. Parents don't want the teachers to put their hands on their kids, but as parents they don't want to put the foot down on the kids.

I have to agree though...we have become the ME NATION. sad

I figure the wife and I did the best we could with the kids. Taught them that everyone out there won't love them like we do. So if you're going to do something stupid, be ready to pay the price for it. We've been lucky.

SNAKE

6) Ok now organized religion.. I went to sunday school to learn the golden rule.. I also learned the song "Jesus loves the lil children, all the children of the world. RED, & YELLOW, BLACK & WHITE they are all so precious in his sight" Eh um when was the last time ya heard ANYTHING remotely like that being preached? I thought that was the basis of Christianity. WAS being the operative word.. Ohh about the police The things that chicago cops have done..on a regular basis despicable...I had a deck builder rip me off. Know what the police chief said "Hey lady if yoour having problems finding him how do ya expect me to?" Eh em it's ypour job.. BTW I did find were he lived.. Oh and I have been the victim of a corrupt judge.. soooo

7) We could take back our streets if (& I tru;ly believe this) if folks would just let Obam,a do his job.. He truly is a very decent human being with the best of intentions.

I agree about the corruption of Police. I have never understood why they look on Internal Affairs Dept with distain. I was a Professional and would have welcomed weeding out any unethical or illegal people in my field.
What has happened to the concept of shooting to injure and not kill when the suspect is unarmed. Even in my small town there have been unnessessary shootings. Nothing ever happens to the cops.
I think the police in small towns are like to demonstrate power . I know the job can jade your thinking but I also feel it attracts folks who like to push their weight around.

I'd like to address the police first, lol. I grew up in and around New Orleans most of my life. At one time we had THE most corrupt police force in the country. The first gun I bought (in my young and dumb years) was from a cop. Sometime back, late 90's, the entire Narcotics Squad was arrested, the top three have a combined total of 6 death sentences and 135 years between them. My family is split, half law enforcement, the other half outlaws. So I've seen both sides of it. But in my heart of hearts I really think that most out there are trying their best.

Now for the religion, I agree. I remember the Lords Prayer everyday before school and the Pledge...this was a public school. But I think we messed up was when we allowed the small percentage to dictate to the majority what would be done. We've payed for it every since.

Now, like you I truly believe Obama has the best interest of this country at heart. But on the same token, I think we as a people need to do our share to help. Neighborhood Watchs, Confronting those that look like they don't belong in your neighborhood, keeping an eye on kids(even if they aren't your) things like that.

Hopefully we'll get this country back.

SNAKE

I retired from Illinois Corrections Juvenile and I learned several things.

First (an informal poll I ran because for three years I met every single young man under twenty one years of age because I was assigned to intake) the income level of the family the juvenile was less than $8,000, The common size of the family was four, and there was only a single parent.

Second, there were four kinds of students
Gangbangers: no trouble in the classroom, addicted to violence
old-style juvenile delinquents: car thieves mostly
goofy's: should be in mental institutions but there aren't any
drug dealers: entrepreneurs in the wrong line of work. Send them to the Kelloge School of business and you'll never see them again (except when they are caught cheating on their taxes but that's legitimate crime).

Second: Just before I left, I asked the Warden what would happen if the double fence with rolls of razor wire were taken down.
He laughed. "They would all run away."
"How many of them would be back in two days?"
"All of them."
"Why?"
"No place for any of them to go."

Blend all this together and what do you have: children who want a future but know of no way to get there. Need for effective education (notice, I didn't call for more money). Recognition that children become adults. We don't have near enough ambitious and educated citizens.

IF YOU CAN NEVER FEEL SAFE, YOU CAN NEVER FEEL FREE.
cajun,i agree too.i always am vigilant about what is going on.since i have been at this residence for about 30 years i have not or any neighbors been bothered by thefts or crimes,but have heard of such a mile or two up or down the road.

doylee, I grew up in a neighborhood that had three and four generations living there (we had three) and I grew up thinking everyone had 40 mama and daddys. Everyone watched out for each other then. Where I live now is a small town, and the neighborhood is mostly 50+years old, there are some kids, but for the most part they don't cause trouble, real polite and respectful. But they are low income.

len, don't know about the prisons. Only ones I'm familiar with is "THE Farm", and Parchmen. The Farm has a history, mainly where it was built. When it was new, there was swamp on three sides of it, pretty much still is. But there, at least as far as I know, what ever time you get...you do.

But I think the future is going to pretty bleak, at least from the younger ones I've talked to at home. They aren't afraid to die, but like I tell them, dying easy...snap...it's over your in the ground. Living is tough, and even tougher when you are trying to live right. I guess it's going to fall to us to try and do what we can to help those that really want to change.

SNAKE

I'm not American so I probably have no right to say, but I think a big part of it now is gangs just as they are becoming here in Canada. We have so many immigrants entering our country and when they get here they feel alienated, so they join or create gangs. If you join a gang, you're a member for life. The member can't just say he wants out and that's okay. The big deal is the level and frequency of violence. It's both shocking and discouraging. People in authority, the police, FBI etc., state they don't think the problem can be resolved, it's only going to get worse.

A lack of morality is another factor. It seems like kids don't have any sense of right and wrong. If they do, they certainly don't seem to care, they have no respect for it. Money is the god that's to be worshiped now, its like we can't get enough "things" to accumulate. Sociopathy and psychopathy are more and more prevalent, the stats, I think, are one in one hundred births. A rather frightening statistic, huh?

I remember when I was growing up (in the innocent 50's) I could walk to a corner store about a ten minute walk away, in the dark, and have no fear for my safety. We didn't have to lock our doors for fear of invaders or thieves. Sadly, I do now, particularly since I'm single. I wish so much we could go back to those innocent times. So much has changed in such a comparitively short span of time. However, I guess I'd want to go back to the 60's the most.

I'd like to think that adequate housing, ample food and a good education would go a long way toward reducing violence in our countries.

Birdie, I wonder about that too. Maybe the cops are trained that, if you are going to shoot, shoot to kill. I've seen some unwarranted and simply wrong shootings by police lately. Twice it was people who were mentally ill. One guy was armed with a crowbar, and he was shot and killed for no reason. He didn't deserve it. The cop could have evaded the victim easily, but instead he shot him in the gut, not the arm or leg, and killed the guy. Makes me absolutely disgusted. I don't think our cops are corrupted, not here anyway, but they lack common sense.