What Were You Thinking - a Bit of News that May Blow Your Mind

I usually don't do these kinds of articles on AC but lately I have been asking myself, what were you thinking? I ask this question when I hear things that have happened that seem so silly, careless, stupid or just plain out of human character and thought. I have decided, Why not write this down and ask others for their opinion? So here we go.

What were you thinking #1 - Law Officer Takes Action

Now I don't like it if a police officer pulls me over an gives me a ticket for going too fast or running a stop sign anymore than any other driver on the road - but, I certainly have no qualms about calling 911 when I need them for my safety. So the question here is why the heck would anyone purposely try and harm an Officer of the Law (or anyone else for that matter).

Clark County Sherriff's Deputy Edward Blysma was a victim of the stupidity of another. While stopping for his lunch break he ordered a hamburger at Burger King in Vancouver Washington. When the counter man Gary Herb handed him that burger Officer Blysma thought he looked at him strangely. Thank god Officer Blysma went with that gut feeling before he bit into that burger. Taking a minute to remove the burger from the wrapper and taking it apart could be one step that saved Officer Blysma's life. Finding a loogie filled with phlegm on the bottom side of the burger, Officer Blysma did not eat his lunch but chose to have it tested instead. Yep the DNA testing shows that there were not one but two uncaring, unkind, thoughtless culprits who had spit into his burger, one of them having a case of Hepatitis.

Officer Blysma is of course filing a suit against the Burger King for the incident, having never received even an apology from the manager of the Burger King in question. Now these two suspects don't work at this Burger King and there is no information forth coming as to any criminal charges but come on, Hepatitis! To me this means that perhaps this young person did not have much going on in his head, why would you put another's life at stake for a joke. Not to mention that if the District Attorney wishes he could probably make a case of attempted murder if the Hepatitis is C which can be life threatening.

Again I ask, "What were you thinking?" I think that this act falls under the category of thoughtless and stupid, what do you think?

What were you thinking #2 - Interruption by Cell Phone?

We have all been annoyed by those pesky rude people with cell phones at the theater, in a doctors office or well just about anywhere that you go for private activities that need quiet. But this tops the cake for me.

Scappoose School's are pulling the plug on students having cell phones or Ipods during school hours. Not because they text during class or talk while the teacher is talking but for one of the rudest acts ever, in my opinion, that they could have done.

When Alter Wiener, one of the last Holocaust Survivor's, was sharing his story of life in a concentration camps in Germany most of the 700 students could not remain respectful for even an hour of their day. Most of the students were texting and chatting on cell phones to friends while Mr. Alter gave his presentation. In his own words to the principle of the school Mr. Alter states, "I've been to 500 schools and this is the worst experience I've had."

Ask yourself this question and then be honest when you answer it. Why are our children so rude and disrespectful of others? Because the family unit has broken down so far due to all the worries about being politically correct in raising our children. Because of this fear of reprisal we have let our children believe anything is okay to do. No respect necessary in this world of today. No punishment, no spanking, nothing - well let me share with you that I never spanked my children in all the years they were growing up but, they respect everyone around them and I tell you right now they turn off their cell phones and Ipods when at the theater or listening to someone else talk, they don't answer when one rings in the middle of a conversation with another person they excuse themselves and hit the ignore button. So does my 11 year-old grand-daughter and she has never been hit or spanked either. News folks, we can teach our children respect and thoughtfulness without corporal punishment! What we do need now is parents who take care of their children and teach them these things, not parents who sit at home in front of the TV and let those kids run around the neighborhood and if someone complains the parent states, "my son would never do that." Yep folks they all try it and they will all do it if given half a chance. Make it uncomfortable and they will learn that being respectful of others has a consequence.

I log this incident under - time to teach our children respect NOW.