Sojourn Chronicles

by D. Brent Miller

This morning, I went out for a coffee and a breakfast sandwich at one of the local coffee houses. I often go out for coffee if there is something I am reading or researching, and getting out of the home office sometimes helps me focus without the usual distractions.

Finished, I packed up my book, disposed of my garbage, grabbed the remainder of my cup of coffee and headed for the door, just as another patron was coming in, a young mother with child, about three years old.

The scene was striking because she carried in a bundle of papers and a bag, and what appeared to be a toy rifle–a Winchester type gun. It was obviously a toy, so that did not concern me. The child was dressed in camouflage and he carried what was clearly a toy hand gun, like a 45 automatic. It looked big in his little hands. That did not concern me.

So, I said, “Hello there, little soldier.”

He pointed the gun at me and “shot.”

His mom is carrying his rifle. He’s carrying the side arm. And, he’s shooting people who greet him. Where did he learn this? Was he reprimanded? No. What on earth was his mother thinking?

I am all for personal freedom, but I think we, as a society, are not doing enough to teach our youngsters responsibility and accountability in the home. If we were, we wouldn’t be reading or hearing stories about kids, gangs, shootings, guns in schools, and the list goes on. Some of the news stories of today, started somewhere in a home where something was lacking, and it crosses socio-economic lines. How often do we read, “He was a good kid from a fine upstanding home?”–DBrent

Technorati tags: Social responsibilities, personal accountability