One of my pleasure shows is Teen Mom. The show, like a car crash, is something I just cannot stop staring at. I sit here and watch these girls, some of them grown women and some of them teenagers, and I just don't understand. Why is it so difficult to get priorities in order? Why is it so difficult to understand what needs to be done? What goes in to having a child?
Of course I know the answers to these questions. I know them. It all boils down to the fact that kids shouldn't be having kids. I don't know where I got the knowledge that I have, the guts to do what I needed to do for Emily and myself. I don't know. I'm thankful for it.
When I watch this show and then I see all of the issues in the news, my brain starts to hurt. Why do so many people want to deny access to birth control? What will that do? Why aren't we teaching kids about sex, protection, disease, self-respect and babies? What are we accomplishing with all of that? We have gonorrhea outbreaks in different states, one of the highest, if not the highest, teen pregnancy rates in any developed country, and an epidemic of girls being incredibly and remarkably stupid. Our education system is denying our children the right that they have to a full and comprehensive education. Our parents are failing to provide the character training that their children need. Why?
I know many staunch republicans that will blame a lack of God in our society. To each their own, but the fact remains that we are blessed to live in a country where we can choose our religion. Also, I've recently read some studies that show that God-free character education at an elementary level is just as effective as an education that includes God. This means that neither is effective. If they were, we wouldn't be seeing the numbers that we are seeing across the board in our country. We wouldn't have a TV show that shows these young women doing these stupid, stupid things. (On that note, I have a hard time believing that there are any money struggles. As a woman who has lived well below the poverty line since Emily's birth, it angers me to no end that any of these girls are making stupid decisions. I would love to have the paychecks that they have so that I could do everything I want to do for Emily, the things I will be doing five years from now when I am able to. )
I just don't get it. I don't. When will society as a whole understand that we are failing our children? That we are breeding a selfish, unconcerned group of people that will continue doing the same stupid things over and over again. Why are young men allowed to call girls whores? Sluts? Stupid bitches? Why are young girls allowed to spin in circles? Why are we, the adults, allowed to continue to fail our children and our communities? It's not related to any of the hot-topic issues. It's not. It has everything to do with instilling your children with common courtesy, common sense and common respect for themselves and for others. It has to do with telling our daughters that they are beautiful and worthy. It has to do with telling our young sons that they are beautiful and worthy. It has to do with teaching our young children that they matter. They matter enough to make good decisions, to respect their minds, hearts and bodies. We need to teach them selflessness. We need to inform them of the bad things in the world and let them see some of it while we can still help to guide them through it. We need to let them face consequences while they're with us so that maybe, they can learn to face them on their own.
It makes me so sad. It makes me look at my journey and keep going. I struggle with the same thing that all teen Moms struggle with. I am broke, I have had relationship ups and downs that are complicated in many ways by having a child. I get lonely. I spent a lot of time resenting Emily's biological father because I didn't have anyone to share with. Whether it was good sharing or bad sharing, I wanted someone to share with.
However, on top of my struggle, I am a 4.0 student. I am nine months out (hopefully) from my Bachelors. I am about two years away from a Masters. I have this beautiful amazing child, this little girl that I get to share my time with. She is so annoying. But she is so wonderful. She is generally well-mannered, she is loved and cared for and gets to be five. She is getting a childhood because I know that is what she needs. I was about to say that I know people will say they don't have the resources for that, but that's bullshit. If you want something bad enough you MAKE IT HAPPEN. I don't have the resources either. I don't have parents that can take care of everything, nor do I have a %60,000+ salary from MTV. I am from inner-city Chicago. I've had help. My family helps when they can, and that's what family is for.
We all know I suck at conclusions. My mind is over-boggled with this and with two other very specific issues going on in my life right now. I will have to write about those later.
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