ChildCare Action Project:
Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

SAD BUT TRUE:
A Special Commentary of an Alert Nature

Thomas A. Carder
President






INTRODUCTION


By participation in many discussions with public education professionals, I observed several conversations about how the general state of student discipline has decayed to near anarchy with the students ruling the school rather than the teachers and administration being in charge. It seems that there have been as many suggestions as to the cause of decay of student discipline as there are schools. It also seems to be of general agreement that the decay of student discipline was causative or at least contributory to kids killing kids.

After seven years of study and research, I offer a possible and even probable, if not, the key cause -- indeed the root cause -- to not only the general decay of student discipline and to kids killing kids, but to the general state of liberal immorality and the "take care of number one at any cost" syndrome world-wide. There are more than likely a thousand if one contributors to this general state of immorality and selfness: the breakdown of the family unit; the loss of trust in government; the lack of supervision of children; widespread abuse of all types and severities; daycare organizations raising the children instead of mom and dad; forced tolerance of perversity in the name of diversity; a thousand other contributors. However, each is a spin-off or ramification of or an effect of a single common and deeply, deeply rooted cause.

Three elements of personal character -- integrity, self respect, coping skills -- combine to form the foundation and fuel for personal behavior management. How they are shaped and incorporated and in what ratio will in most cases determine and sometimes dictate how an individual will react to stimuli or will initiate behavior. According to Doctors Michael and Susan Osborne of the Memphis State University, there are three basic progressively protected barriers to persuasion: opinion, values, and beliefs. Each level requires a stronger influence to modify, the beliefs level being the deepest and most protected. And the attitudes incorporated by an individual in turn feed and, to a point, control behavior choices.

There are several extremely strong persuasive influences of the entertainment industry on the integrity, self respect, coping skills of an observer, especially the impressionable which persuade character development -- influences which can reach deep into the BELIEFS level of human attitude -- especially in those with undeveloped or developing characters. The extremely strong influences of the entertainment industry include:

  • freedom from accountability, especially to God's Law
  • freedom from authority, especially parental
  • freedom from consequences, and falsified martyrdom when consequences are exacted
  • situational redefinition, counterfeiting and conditional application of the Scriptures to suit the moment, especially calling good evil and evil good (Is 5:20)
  • self importance and self esteem at the expense of self respect
  • unmerited acceptance, unrighteous permissiveness, and excessive tolerance
  • dissonance as a manipulation or proselytizing technique
  • suggestion by implication
  • usurpment of and abandonment of parental teachings/authority
  • moral relativism
  • pansexualism
  • immediate gratification
  • situational, emotive, and behavioral ethics
  • lowering the threshold of acceptability and inhibition
  • glorification of rebellion and arrogance
  • encouraging values/beliefs re-thinking/modification
  • the "Go ahead and do the wrong as long as you are sorry for it afterwards. Ignore the pain and damage to others along the way" and the "You'll thank me when you're older" rationales
  • excusing unacceptable and vicious behavior by embedding it under warm and loving themes
  • trumped-up "messages" to excuse and manufacturing of justification for aberrant behavior and imagery
  • too much independence and autonomy too soon
  • promotion of focusing on the self
  • nihilism
  • using the sins of others to justify or excuse one's own sins
  • stealing of childhood from children

    ALL OF WHICH ARE PRESENTED AS PROPER, ACCEPTABLE, DESIRABLE, AND INDEED SATISFYING; ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR STEALING CHILDHOOD FROM CHILDREN.

    Following is the hyperlink Table of Contents to each installment. Please note that this is a living effort and will be augmented as material is developed. This is a free information service and we receive no compensation for it. If you wish to help us defray costs, please visit the section after the Table of Contents. We are a fully licensed nonprofit Christian ministry and depend on visitor support.





    Each installment is a verbatim posting of the document in email format which was distributed to several hundred members of educational email loops WITHOUT A SINGLE ARGUMENT!

    First Installment: Setting the Foundation

    Second Installment: Methodology

    Third Installment: Fortifying the Foundation

    Fourth Installment: The Millstone

    Fifth Installment: Fortifying the Common Thread

    Sixth Installment: The Finding




    The ChildCare Action Project (CAP) is a nonprofit Christian ministry. We rely on public support. If you wish to contribute to the CAP, please send your donations to

    ChildCare Action Project
    Post Office Box 177
    Granbury, TX 76048-0177

    Tax exemption applies in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Tax Codes.

    Please feel free to write to us.



    You are welcome to
    Go back to the SAD BUT TRUE Introduction
    or
    Top of the CAP Home Page
    or
    CAP Table of Contents

    or leave me an email message or comment at

    cap@capalert.com





    Thank you for visiting us and may God bless you. Prayerfully, we will provide you with some of the most revealing commentary and investigative reporting you have ever read.

    In the name of Jesus:
    Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God.

    Thomas A. Carder
    President
    ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

    ©1998 ChildCare Action Project (CAP)