[sharktrager]

A little inattentiveness?

These kids were able to purchase and hide several guns, ammunition and pipe bombs without their parents noticing a thing. They were building bombs in the house, and the parents didn't notice. The kids were compiling lists of who they wanted to kill, and publishing the lists on the Internet. The kids filmed hours of videotape talking about what they planned. These are kids that went through the legal system, and that had been reported as making threats against other kids.

These parents were in no way involved in their kids lives. They sent the kids to a shrink, who put them on medication, and considered their job done.

These parents didn't do their job. That doesn't excuse the kids, but the world was a much better place when parents were routinely held responsible for the actions of their kids. Maybe if that were the case these kids would have been reigned in a long time before this happened.

[sauropod]

Were you ever a teenager once?

My parents never found out the half of stuff that I did.

[grellis]

Exactly...completely inattentive.

My oldest son is only six years old but I can say with all certainty this WILL NOT happen under my roof. I am, and will continue to be, Gestapo Mom. Each and every day I clean up my kids' bedrooms (with their help). Nothing escapes me, and they know it. Invasion of their privacy? When they are paying rent and living on their own, they'll have all the privacy they have earned. Until then, my house, my rules.

[ExtremeUnction]

These kids were able to purchase and hide several guns, ammunition and pipe bombs without their parents noticing a thing. They were building bombs in the house, and the parents didn't notice. The kids were compiling lists of who they wanted to kill, and publishing the lists on the Internet. The kids filmed hours of videotape talking about what they planned. These are kids that went through the legal system, and that had been reported as making threats against other kids.

I went to 12 years of Catholic schools in the late 50's and 60's. Like most kids in my school, I was from a very large family. Basically, my parents were so busy that I was ignored. I was in so much mischief that 10 books couldn't tell the story. I loved to blow things up, make crude guns, burn stuff, steal stuff, etc, etc. My parents were clueless, and, I never got caught! Not once. I had a lot of cops chase me, but not one ever got me. One note, however, we never hurt anyone or anything. But kids have been behaving badly for a long time, and, to various degrees, and for different reasons, always will.