Watch "Bowling For Columbine" (smart documentary about American lifestyle)

[Lechium]

"Bowlign For Columbine" is a pretty godo documentary. A bit too sappy at times, but in general very smart, and basically tries to answer a question "why is America fucked up as a nation?!"

One of the things they say there...

4/20/99 Morning -- Amercia makes biggest bombing of Yougoslavia, targets, among others are school and hospital. Hundreds of innocent people are dead. Many of them are women and children. Noone notices it.

4/20/99 Noon -- Shooting in Columbine, only 12 people killed, yet entire nation is in uproar.

Noone tries to blame US govornment for being a promoter of killing innocent people. It's all music, movies and video games fault of course.

[Dogstar]

I heard that Bowling for Columbine was pretty good. Been meaning to rent that one.

[Lechium]

It's still in theaters.

[Dogstar]

It is? I thought that one came out months ago. Maybe I was reading about it or something before it came out. Hmmm. Ok, thanks.

[DangerousDan85]

yeah I read an article in Entertainment Weekly awhile ago about it

[hotforscott]

That is something I will have to check out as well! Sounds interesting!

[JenRN]

Well..... I feel a lot of this countries problems stems from no one having values or respect for that matter. It is not all the government, GEEZ!!!!!!!! People having children and not bringing them up with values and learning how to say "no " to them!!!! I watch people in stores etc.... and see how corrupt the nations youth has become(not all)!!!! They are out of control and have no consequences to thier actions, and if they do get consequences someone is out to say it is" not giving them their rights"!!!! Working with the public I am around people of ALL ages and let me tell you, young people are 90% of the time a pain in the ass to take care of, they want everything yesterday and talk to you like you are crap. Now the "older generations" are a whole different story, they have respect for you and for themselves for that matter. People sometimes just pop out kids left and right and don't look at what they are doing, or take the time to properly raise them for that matter. This countries problems are not all political!!!!! It goes MUCH DEEPER than that!

It is a real crying shame what happened in Columbine, it is a rude awakening to those who don't realize how corrupt the nations youth have become. Now I am not talking about ALL youth, please don't read into this or over analyze it. I am just stating that 40 years ago you did not see teens running around with guns shooting their teachers, or having 20 sexual partners by the time they are 14!!!! Their are some serious problems in out nation, and it is getting worse!! I have educated many young people on AIDS and other STD's and they just look at you with this blank look on their face. Once I brought a 15 yr old Aids patient to my meetings and boy they thought real long and hard then when it was right in front of them. It is very sad how the loss of innocence is getting younger and younger.

[CollectiveSoul]

damn i missed it

[Lechium]

It's al interconnected. In Russia for example, it is common when grandparents rasie kids, whiel in America it is babysitters. Obviously babysitter provides much worse of a result, but American lifestyle dictates that you dont live with your parents when you have yoru own famuily, therefore no way you gonna have grandparents there for yoru kids. Also the whoel line of promoting self esteem and not punishing kids really kicks in here. If you have a troubled kid, and you put him in his place with a belt little fucker might talk to cops and parents get into trouble. Govornment polices how you can raise your kids and limits parent's options, so there you go.
I live in Cali so I see both American/Amercianazd families and ones who stay close to their original traditions. Troublessome kids all come from American(ized) families. Hardcore Asian, Indian and Mexican ones however raise good kids, who are moral and never get in trouble. Go figure.

[JenRN]

Quote:

Originally posted by Lechium
It's al interconnected. In Russia for example, it is common when grandparents rasie kids, whiel in America it is babysitters. Obviously babysitter provides much worse of a result, but American lifestyle dictates that you dont live with your parents when you have yoru own famuily, therefore no way you gonna have grandparents there for yoru kids. Also the whoel line of promoting self esteem and not punishing kids really kicks in here. If you have a troubled kid, and you put him in his place with a belt little fucker might talk to cops and parents get into trouble. Govornment polices how you can raise your kids and limits parent's options, so there you go.
I live in Cali so I see both American/Amercianazd families and ones who stay close to their original traditions. Troublessome kids all come from American(ized) families. Hardcore Asian, Indian and Mexican ones however raise good kids, who are moral and never get in trouble. Go figure.

Just curious, how long have you lived in America? Asian and Mexican raise good kids? Hmmmmmm...... you must not have been all over the country yet? Every race raises good kids regardless of race, it is how they are raised and the lack of resposibility and respect that "some" people lack in teaching their kids that is part of the problem!!!!! I have seen as many irresponsible Mexican americans as black or white americans in this country. Have you never seen the gangs that are primarily mexican in southern Ca? Like I said before the problem stems MUCH DEEPER than that!

[Lechium]

I lived in US for about 5 years.

Didn't you notice me saying "hardcore" Asian, Indian and Mexian families. Americanaized one dont do a good job and dont stick to their old tradition. That's why there are gangs and stuff. Bur there are ones who go by their old country tradition of raising kids, and these kids turn out to be alright.

Oh yeah and about mexiacan -- traditional families are super strict. My roomate couldnt have a girlfriend til he was 21, and even than his folks had problem with it.

The whole idea is traditional foreing families vs american/americanazed ones.

[Dogstar]

Quote:

I live in Cali so I see both American/Amercianazd families and ones who stay close to their original traditions. Troublessome kids all come from American(ized) families. Hardcore Asian, Indian and Mexican ones however raise good kids, who are moral and never get in trouble. Go figure.

You're kidding, right? Every race rears good and bad. Granted, the nuclear/extended family as America once new it is long gone, to the detriment of our society, but to generalize like that is ridiculous. Have you lived in a big city? There are all kinds of good and bad people of all races and creeds that I have seen with my own eyes.
I think a lot of our trouble as a nation stems from many sources, chief among them the breakdown of the family. No one eats dinner together anymore, parents are off working to chase the almighty dollar to flood their kids with material things to assuage their feelings of guilt for not doing their jobs as parents. They rely too much on others (school system, day care, baby sitters) to do their job. If somebody stayed home with the dang kids (not saying it has to be the mother) and spent time with them, teaching them right from wrong and about life in general, we'd all be better off. I wonder why some people have children.
Parents also seem to have this problem teaching their kids about taking responsibility for their actions and that their actions have consequences. They blame everybody but themselves or their children. I could go on forever...but I'll get off the soapbox.

[Lechium]

All I'm saing is that American way of raising kids is one of the most irresponsible.

It's not about race, but it's about _culture_. Most people who are true to overseas cultures are strict with their kids, while America new wave of being your childs best friend rather than ultimate authority produces spoiled and troublesome kids.

[Dogstar]

Agreed that the U.S. way of rearing kids isn't really working well in total. We're not all bad, though .

[JenRN]

I totally agree with Dogstar! I could get on my soap box and keep going and going! But, all I have to say is it is not fair to generalize Americans the way you do! If our country bothers you so much why are you here? Your remarks on how patriotism makes you sick and bashing american ideals all the time, I was just curious what brings you here? I myself have worked damn HARD for everything I have and my family has fought and died for the rights that you are enjoying living here, I get a little defensive when people from the "outside" come in and think they know "what is wrong with america"!!!!