What are these minors doing outside the house at this time of the night? When will we start persecuting parents for negligence?
Aw, come on, weren't you ever a teen? Teens date are known to break curfews (especially in the summer when school is out) and there is very little parents can do!
I wish someone would have said that to my parents! At 16 years old, if I decided I was going to stay out until past 2am some night, it would have happened 1 time. After that, punishment would have happened.
Sorry but I have the same question, where were Mom and Dad while their 16 year old is out on a date until after 2am?
No--rather there is very little society allows parents to do these days.
In the old days, people and cops would question kids out that late alone, even contacting the kid's parents.
But try that now, and the ACLU will scream harassment.
Spank your kid, and you might land in jail.
If you are very strict with your kids, you might also be accused of child abuse.
Heck, so little power have parents these days, that in some states the government can help a teenage girl get an abortion without the parents knowledge; after all, "they're only parents and prone to getting emotional over their kids--and what do parents know anyway."
You are not a meandog at all :) Parenting requires leadership, and you seem to have abandoned yours.
And, yes, I was a teenager and did some crazy things. But my parents --- who never raised their hand on me --- would probably take my head off if I were to sneak out until morning.
It is the resignation to the status quo that causes our culture to deteriorate further. Kids always push the envelope, so when you don't correct them on using the word d-man (as was done until a couple of decades ago), they proceed to stronger expressions. When you do not insist on them being polite with elders, they end up not having any respect for them at all.
The "greatest generation" still remembered how it was otherwise: they were raised properly but failed to pass on the traditions, giving rise to the most uncivil society we have ever had in our history. By now, that those doing parenting do not even have references: their own parents were doing serious drugs in the 60s.
There is a lot a parent can do. A parent can be a parent from the day the child is born and set down rules to be followed or else there are consequences. A parent says be home at midnight, you are home at midnight. You break the curfew you face punishment. It's not too tough unless you are a crappy parent. " Kids are going to do what the want" is no argument. It's lousy parenting.
At last we agree. A lot of these people here since the 2000 election evidently never had a childhood. What were they doing at seventeen? I wonder how they are going to act when their 17 year old child acts like an 17 year old.
Forget to leave off a "sarcasm" tag?
I don't think that the parents should be prosecuted. Let Mother Nature take care of her own, meaning fewer homo sapien for my children to compete with.
I always laugh when I read posts by libertarians who make noises to the effect that, "Why bother to stop carnal behavior in children-- its irrepressible!" You can always tell those who were raised by people who didn't love them.
A dog will eat cat feces from the litterbox. Its purely natural behavior, but most people don't care enough about their dog to train him to stop.
You apparently must be younger than me. I am 53. I was so scared of my Dad that I didn't dare sneak out or stay out that late at 16 or 17. Now 18 was different. He would have blistered the hell out of me, and I knew it. He had a mean belt, Meandog. Of course today our communist government will not allow this.