columbine and go tarts.

(from myspace. originally posted 4/6/08)

i understand the blog title might make all of you a little curious, but this is something that has been on my mind for a long time now. i’ve always reserved myspace to keep in touch with people that have moved away or to display excellent color coordination (note the scheme matches the profile picture...i’m sure you’ve already observed this and were blown away). it’s time to stray from past blogs, messages, jokes, and color schemes to touch on something that REALLY bugs me.
so many people have been speculating for years now on who is responsible for all this school violence. what has happened with our nation where a school shooting seems to occur every few months? media, movies, games? all of the former have received plenty of finger pointing as a cause of these horrible acts that have been surfacing over the past 10 years or so. how about good ol’ ma and pa? what about these people? after these tragedies, we get 8 page layouts in time magazine about the killer’s troubled history. we get shocking headlines on cnn and fox news that grab the world’s attention with words like massacre and killing spree. where are the parents through all of this? listen, i’m not saying let’s beat down their door and throw mics and cameras in their face. i could not fathom being a parent and have to go through something like this, but i would be interested in some profiles of this troubled kids parents.
is there a possibility that we are missing something? do me a favor. one of the following two will suffice. number one. actually, cancel number one...i just did it for you. over the past 15 years, fast food sales and increased almost 7% while restaraunt dining has decreased 6%. the gap between family income spent at a restaraunt and a fast food establishment is narrowing and the tables will turn possibly in the next five years or so. ok..(stick with me here)..number two...well, i guess this would be number one...just check out the type of food that is available at your local grocery store. specifically, your breakfast, lunch type kids food. for example, for lunch we have the classic peanut butter and jelly. but, if you go to the store, you’ll find you no longer need to buy the pb and j separate. you can just get goober grape! way easier. or, check out the pop tarts. have too little time to get the kids breakfast in the morning? well, pop tarts just aren’t quick enough anymore. our kids need go tarts! who really has the time to throw a cumbersome pop tart in the toaster for 30 seconds?
so, what’s you freaking point, kevin? well, our country has become obsessed with "now." we live for "now," and we aren’t getting it soon enough. we spend so much energy on our work, play, and ourselves we have been neglecting interaction with other humans. i feel this includes a large base of parents. i understand i’m not a parent, and "i have no idea what i’m talking about," but i think it’s obvious we are headed down a very dangerous path. so many parents just plop there kids down in front of their wii and dump a bag of bk in the their lap and go "unwind." i know i’m not speaking from experiencing and i know i’ll probably want to do it too, but we need to invest time in our children. there is ADD all over the place, obesity has become an epidemic, and our children are suffering from loneliness and depression.
sorry to rant, but i really feel this has to in some way contribute to this violence. obviously, the media isn’t helping matters. after the virginia tech killings, i saw time magazine had nearly a 10 page layout on the killer, and one page devoted to all the victims. we hoist to people to ridiculous heights of fame and it has to stop. but, let’s please start with the family. remember what that is? most of the families i know are extremely close, and it’s amazing to see. let’s embrace it.