Disgusting

[El Camexican]

I turned on the TV tonight to see that the family of Thomas Duncan and the Rev. Jessie Jackson are accusing the hospital and doctors in Dallas that treated him of racism. I’m stuck for non-inflammatory words here, but I feel like venting.

I spent 90 minutes at the border the other day getting asked the same questions repeatedly and having my dirty underwear examined. Did I complain? No! Entering another county is a privilege, not a right. Yet here you have a guy that comes to the US from some banana republic that likely wouldn’t have an aspirin to offer a sick visitor, drags his sick ass to the US, allegedly lies about what he’s been up to and then is cared for by professionals who risked their lives to be around him all courtesy of the US tax payer this is the result? WTF??? When it’s all said and done the hospital will likely need to pay off these parasites for racial discrimination, or wrongful death. God Bless America.

I’m done for now.

[Joseph Farrow]

Have you noticed that nothing in the World makes since anymore..........

[Ghostv2]

My favorite saying at work is, "you don't get paid to think".
Throw logic and reason out the window, welcome to America.

[redsox]

We're screwed. We are so screwed. There is no leadership anywhere. We blindly follow whatever our TV is dishing out. Integrity is nowhere to be found. What bothers me most is that there is no demand for integrity. No one is happy. The left is upset with the way of things. The right is upset with the way of things. The poor are upset, the rich are upset, etc..etc... right down the line. We are all powerless to change ANYTHING. Honestly, answer me this,, What is the best possible outcome in the next ten years?? A hardline republican resurgence and the end of welfare and handouts? Never gonna happen. An enlightened view of the liberal agenda where we delve deeper into socialism??? Seems possible to me. And what about those anti-gov warriors out there?? Any chance you see less government intrusion on the horizon?? NO CHANCE. I'm grasping at my last straw of faith in the future of the country. Its sad. The older I get, the more I appreciate George Orwell. Freakin' Genius. He was only off by 30 years.

[83ATC185]

i agree with redsox here. Ive accepted the fact that we are powerless to change the direction of the country, we're too busy at war amongst ourselves to see whats really important, and there's too many people depending on the government that wont do anything. The only thing we can do at this point is wait for the train to derail and pick up the pieces.I think the best thing we can do now is become self sufficient, have your own resources and don't take anything you know in this world for granted. Times are going to get really tough here in the next 10-15 years. Like Farrow said, nothing in this world makes sense. people and their behavior doesn't make any sense at all. I spent a lot of time angry at the way people are and the direction were headed as a country but ive stopped being that way after i realized my anger wasn't being directed in the right places. I've come to realize a lot of the craziness in this country comes from our media and knowing everyone's opinions on every issue. Ive found that if i turn off the news, and quit reading the scare tactic crap that people post on facebook and don't worry about every little thing, and go to my job and do my best, the worlds not a burden to me anymore. That said, our country is in big trouble and at some point we cant ignore it anymore.

[DohcBikes]

We're screwed. We are so screwed. There is no leadership anywhere. We blindly follow whatever our TV is dishing out. Integrity is nowhere to be found. What bothers me most is that there is no demand for integrity. No one is happy. The left is upset with the way of things. The right is upset with the way of things. The poor are upset, the rich are upset, etc..etc... right down the line. We are all powerless to change ANYTHING. Honestly, answer me this,, What is the best possible outcome in the next ten years?? A hardline republican resurgence and the end of welfare and handouts? Never gonna happen. An enlightened view of the liberal agenda where we delve deeper into socialism??? Seems possible to me. And what about those anti-gov warriors out there?? Any chance you see less government intrusion on the horizon?? NO CHANCE. I'm grasping at my last straw of faith in the future of the country. Its sad. The older I get, the more I appreciate George Orwell. Freakin' Genius. He was only off by 30 years.:cry:OOOHHH GAWD THE WORLD IS SUCH A SAD TERRIBLE PLACE BOOOO HOOOOO:cry:

Negativity breeds negativity, of this I am positive.

There ARE happy people, but obviously the people that don't let these kinds of thought patterns consume them are much more likely to be happy.

[6speedthumper]

The only thing we can do at this point is wait for the train to derail and pick up the pieces.I think the best thing we can do now is become self sufficient, have your own resources and don't take anything you know in this world for granted. Times are going to get really tough here in the next 10-15 years.a


I'm still waiting for a viral outbreak, or pandemic. Like Walking Dead, the Last Ship, or The Last of Us. Call me crazy if you will, but, I can see that happening. Think about all the viruses and illnesses the government screws with. It's not hard to imagine. Actually, I'm kinda looking forward to it.

[phantombiker]

hey mexico...jesse jackson (not much of a reverend as he's very judgemental) is a trailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotr ailpro. thanks for being a stand up person!! muchos gracias!

[El Camexican]

hey mexico...jesse jackson (not much of a reverend as he's very judgemental) is a trailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotr ailpro. thanks for being a stand up person!! muchos gracias!

Well there PB I have spent a good portion of my life in the 48 and have admired your system since I was a wee lad. Unfortunately it's falling apart and this saddens me as the rest of the world will likely follow it right down the toilet.

[kaymo]

if you dont think racism is a problem in this country, you are probably a racist, or just live someplace too segregated to notice.

i was born and raised in the south, in the state that led the south in the "war of northern aggression" and will be the first to say the civil war wasnt about slavery... but...

if you think that a texas hospital wouldnt discriminate against a poor black man with a thick foreign accent, then you are delusional.

same as if you think a carolina cop wont discriminate against a black or mexican or any non white for that matter.

[6speedthumper]

if you dont think racism is a problem in this country, you are probably a racist, or just live someplace too segregated to notice.

i was born and raised in the south, in the state that led the south in the "war of northern aggression" and will be the first to say the civil war wasnt about slavery... but...

if you think that a texas hospital wouldnt discriminate against a poor black man with a thick foreign accent, then you are delusional.

same as if you think a carolina cop wont discriminate against a black or mexican or any non white for that matter.


Lets not forget the discrimination against "Yankees". Tired of that crap.

[El Camexican]

if you dont think racism is a problem in this country, you are probably a racist, or just live someplace too segregated to notice.

i was born and raised in the south, in the state that led the south in the "war of northern aggression" and will be the first to say the civil war wasnt about slavery... but...

if you think that a texas hospital wouldnt discriminate against a poor black man with a thick foreign accent, then you are delusional.

same as if you think a carolina cop wont discriminate against a black or mexican or any non white for that matter.

The guy walked in to that hospital in terminal condition, he had FREAKING EBOLA! and went out in a box, the end! Maybe he would have gotten better care in his own country? (pause to laugh my ass off) What's next, walk into a hospital in the final stages of cancer and blame the hospital for your death? Ponder that, I'm off to sue McDonalds for making me fat.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Oh racism still lives on... Sharpton and Jackson are 2 of the biggest offenders. Are they responsible for anything positive or unifying??? NO!

[6speedthumper]

Oh racism still lives on... Sharpton and Jackson are 2 of the biggest offenders. Are they responsible for anything positive or unifying??? NO!


Two of the biggest bigots in history^^^

[fabiodriven]

if you dont think racism is a problem in this country, you are probably a racist, or just live someplace too segregated to notice.

i was born and raised in the south, in the state that led the south in the "war of northern aggression" and will be the first to say the civil war wasnt about slavery... but...

if you think that a texas hospital wouldnt discriminate against a poor black man with a thick foreign accent, then you are delusional.

same as if you think a carolina cop wont discriminate against a black or mexican or any non white for that matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGTUcS-yQtQ

I'm sure a lot of you have already seen this as it was posted in the Ferguson thread a few weeks ago (thank you sledcrazyinCT).

I don't think of myself as a racist person, but after actually typing out how many negative run-ins I've had over my life with people of color it made me think. Then I saw the video I posted above, which appears to be pretty darned eye opening. I feel as though maybe a lot of black people may be having judgement passed on them rightfully. Let's call a spade a spade here.

[kaymo]

yeah if calling someone a yankee is racist then im a racist. lol wtf. I am an equal opportunity racist. i hate everyone equally. except white people, i hate them more, because they ought to know better.

i will make fun of rednecks 25x more than i do yankees. i do it every day. i live in redneck land. they fix things here with duct tape, sheet metal screws and bondo that ought not be fixed at all. Half of them around here probably take their sisters to the prom.

ive had tons of bad run ins with black people. maybe more-so than other races. do i blame them because they are black or think they represent all black people? no

do i think that blacks are disproportionately targeted by police? (notice i didnt say white police, because black cops can often be as racist if not WORSE to make up for their being black to their fellow white officers)

yes, seen it and experienced it (with black friends) but ive also experienced police overstepping and violence on myself, white on white "crime"


in general there is a POLICE problem in america. the race thing is just a part of it. the reality is there are a bunch of INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE THAT WILL DO BAD THINGS NO MATTER WHAT RACE THEY ARE. the other reality is that police do generally target non whites for crime, not just violent. in fact i think the violent crimes are less of an issue (because like i said, individuals will do bad things if they want to do bad thing) but the overwhelming number of non whites targeted for non-violent crimes (mainly drug offences) vs whites causes the economic situation that BREEDS THE VIOLENCE.

we keep looking at symptoms trying to fix those, not looking at the problem

where would these criminals be if they had good paying jobs to go to? probably at work. but our system is broken and we sent too many jobs overseas and now we have to deal with a bunch of bored assholes.

it has much less to do with race and a lot more to do with how we treat each other and ourselves, because its not just blacks that are getting the short end of this broken system. everyone is losing


michael brown might have been a big asshole kid, might deserve punishment for messing with that shopkeeper and stealing. didnt need to be shot unarmed... period.

and i have a hard time believing any old white person at this point. guy in the video was doing fine till he started pointing fingers at the president and talking about left wing blah blah. this trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro has been around since before we had a black president and as far as i can tell has trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro all to do with him. i dont like everything obama has (or hasnt) done either but i live in a republican held state and can personally tell you how trailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro up things are here because of it. lets leave the politics aside and agree there is a problem, and agree on what that problem is

if you want to say our problem is the black president then you 1.sound like a racist. 2.probably are 3. even if youre not where are you going to get with that?

if you have eyes and a brain and can see that this is an ongoing problem that has been around since the 50s, its just changed in size and shape and form and color over the last 60 years, its still the same bullshit, then we can maybe have a discussion about how to go about working on that. but until we can agree on what the PROBLEM is we will never find a SOLUTION

[kaymo]

The guy walked in to that hospital in terminal condition, he had FREAKING EBOLA! and went out in a box, the end! Maybe he would have gotten better care in his own country? (pause to laugh my ass off) What's next, walk into a hospital in the final stages of cancer and blame the hospital for your death? Ponder that, I'm off to sue McDonalds for making me fat.


el mexican. he came in with ebola AND GOT SENT HOME. if he came in and died that would be one thing. he came in saying i think i might have ebola and got sent home, came back and THEN died. theres a bit of a difference in how you described what happened.

again, if you dont think a poor black man with a thick heavy accent will be mistreated in texas, ANYWHERE in texas INCLUDING a hospital... then you are ignorant. had he been a white photojournalist, i bet he would been treated better if not be on his way to recovery


oh and by the way, his own country? THIS IS HIS COUNTRY. sheesh

[RIDE-RED 250r]

So we now claim to know the thoughts and minds of other people???? Policing thought is a very dangerous proposition for any society.. The "politically correct" craze is rapidly taking us toward just that.

Due to various reasons I am not as up on current events as I was a while back. So I do not know the details of the person in question.

Was he a US citizen?

[El Camexican]

oh and by the way, his own country? THIS IS HIS COUNTRY. sheesh

Below are two exerts from Wikipedia. Feel free to correct them.

Who was Thomas Eric Duncan?

He was a 42-year-old Liberian citizen. Duncan's Facebook page indicates that he's from the Liberian capital of Monrovia, where he attended E. Jonathan Goodridge High School.

Why did he come to the United States?

To visit family and friends. Duncan was visiting his son and his son's mother in Dallas, according to Wilfred Smallwood, Duncan's half-brother, who noted this was Duncan's first trip to America

[6speedthumper]

yeah if calling someone a yankee is racist then im a racist. lol wtf. I am an equal opportunity racist. i hate everyone equally. except white people, i hate them more, because they ought to know better.


Wasn't saying that calling someone a Yankee is being racist. It's just a way of "describing", if you will, where a person comes from. Just like calling a southerner a Rebel (which no one in the north ever does). Or hey, why not, African American. However, to pass extremely poor judgment on someone simply because your great, great grandpa fought against the north during the civilwar, and your southern pride makes you have a feeling of disdain for every "Yankee" that moves below the Mason Dixon line, that I am very tired of. So what if I'm from the north? My family wasn't here until 30 years after the civil war, but, because I was born in Jersey, many of the die hard southerners feel it okay to treat me, and other "Yankees" like we're invading their territory.

The funny thing is, no one from the north gives a damn about the Civil War, other then the fact that it happened. Another funny thing is, I highly doubt there are that many people from the north that had family fighting for the Civil War, seeing as how many immigrants have come through Ellis island since that time.

Not saying that people shouldn't be proud of their linage, I respect that. But damn, that war ended 150 years ago. It would be nice to not have judgment passed at me like I was still the "enemy". Lol!

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Civil War... now THAT is a heavy topic. When you delve into it, it's easy to see why the war happened.

Aside from the slavery component, I would be a confederate were I alive back then.

[6speedthumper]

Yes it is. One I prefer not to get into any further then I already have.

[fabiodriven]

do i think that blacks are disproportionately targeted by police? (notice i didnt say white police, because black cops can often be as racist if not WORSE to make up for their being black to their fellow white officers)

yes, seen it and experienced it (with black friends) but ive also experienced police overstepping and violence on myself, white on white "crime"


in general there is a POLICE problem in america. the race thing is just a part of it. the reality is there are a bunch of INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE THAT WILL DO BAD THINGS NO MATTER WHAT RACE THEY ARE. the other reality is that police do generally target non whites for crime, not just violent. in fact i think the violent crimes are less of an issue (because like i said, individuals will do bad things if they want to do bad thing) but the overwhelming number of non whites targeted for non-violent crimes (mainly drug offences) vs whites causes the economic situation that BREEDS THE VIOLENCE.N

I don't agree with much of your post. There's a lot of assumption and theorizing, but not much fact. Assuming the facts in that video are correct, in case you missed it, black people commit 25x the amount of violent crimes on whites as opposed to the other way around. According to that video, this is fact. When you break it down a bit more specifically to aggravated assault, that number is 200x the amount as opposed to white on black assaults. Black on white rapes in 2010 were at about 13,000 with 39,000 black on white robberies. The amount of white on black rapes and robberies were so small that they had to be rounded to the nearest number, and that number is zero.

I'd like to hear facts to support your argument. If black people are more targeted, above I have posted facts, cold hard facts, as to why they may get watched more than white people. I'd like to hear facts that support your side of the argument as to why we should not pay as much attention the people who are causing the most crime in our country today.

[Scootertrash]

Kaymo:

How old are you? Serious question.

[El Camexican]

i live in redneck land. they fix things here with duct tape, sheet metal screws and bondo that ought not be fixed at all.

All good examples, but you left off "contemplate putting Honda engines in Tiger frames"

[phantombiker]

im waiting for the age answer.....

[phantombiker]

Well there PB I have spent a good portion of my life in the 48 and have admired your system since I was a wee lad. Unfortunately it's falling apart and this saddens me as the rest of the world will likely follow it right down the toilet.

very true, bro

[czac]

:cry:OOOHHH GAWD THE WORLD IS SUCH A SAD TERRIBLE PLACE BOOOO HOOOOO:cry:

Negativity breeds negativity, of this I am positive.

There ARE happy people, but obviously the people that don't let these kinds of thought patterns consume them are much more likely to be happy.

I agree but on the other hand, the cows being led to slaughter are happy to, until its their turn to die... Me thinks we are supposed to be happy, this way we don't see what the world is truly up to. People are getting angry today, more so than they ever have and I think that's what its going to take to finally do something about the way things have been getting done. Like everything else, its going to take a big bang to get us going in the correct direction again, A smart guy once said, "change, changes nothing if nothing ever changes"!

[phantombiker]

money, sex and power are the roots of all evil and somehow/someway we are all guilty. correct me if im wrong...but i dont think i am. greed pushed the corporates to make more money for companies and themselves which caused us to try and make more as well as wanting to be better off and give our families a better life...toys, homes...etc etc...point being.....every person on the planet wants better living but we nag and complain while trying to make things better and doing wrong at the same time which is hypocritical. criticism is welcome as i've had a couple and may have said something wrong. sorry if i have.

thx, bro...mark

[phantombiker]

I agree but on the other hand, the cows being led to slaughter are happy to, until its their turn to die... Me thinks we are supposed to be happy, this way we don't see what the world is truly up to. People are getting angry today, more so than they ever have and I think that's what its going to take to finally do something about the way things have been getting done. Like everything else, its going to take a big bang to get us going in the correct direction again, A smart guy once said, "change, changes nothing if nothing ever changes"!

bro...even a cow can sense when something bad is gonna happen "before" its their turn. sound after sound of being slaughtered with uttered groans...they now whats coming. even cows shake with fear.

[czac]

We're screwed. We are so screwed. There is no leadership anywhere. We blindly follow whatever our TV is dishing out. Integrity is nowhere to be found. What bothers me most is that there is no demand for integrity. No one is happy. The left is upset with the way of things. The right is upset with the way of things. The poor are upset, the rich are upset, etc..etc... right down the line. We are all powerless to change ANYTHING. Honestly, answer me this,, What is the best possible outcome in the next ten years?? A hardline republican resurgence and the end of welfare and handouts? Never gonna happen. An enlightened view of the liberal agenda where we delve deeper into socialism??? Seems possible to me. And what about those anti-gov warriors out there?? Any chance you see less government intrusion on the horizon?? NO CHANCE. I'm grasping at my last straw of faith in the future of the country. Its sad. The older I get, the more I appreciate George Orwell. Freakin' Genius. He was only off by 30 years.

...or the Redsox win another World Series? .... :D:D:D:lol::lol::lol:

Sorry, couldn't help it... just trying to lighten the mood here. lol
Hey at any rate, Go Pats! :Bounce

[czac]

bro...even a cow can sense when something bad is gonna happen "before" its their turn. sound after sound of being slaughtered with uttered groans...they now whats coming. even cows shake with fear.

yeah probably, I never slaughtered a cow so WTH do I know...lol
All I mean is that all though we do seem to care and do seem sincere about it, we still (as a whole country) do nothing really to stop anything until its too late and our heads on the chopping block.

[DohcBikes]

Cows are raised with the specific intention of being slaughtered. If not for the slaughter they would never have lived.

Lies, Marketing, name brands, consumerism,TV, trends, etc...they make people want to have more babies. Then they can sell you more crap.

Stop letting them trick you into breeding for the slaughter.

[sledcrazyinCT]

I have a hard time believing any old white person at this point. guy in the video was doing fine till he started pointing fingers at the president and talking about left wing blah blah.


Kaymo No need to take the ol white guy's word for it......


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUSRZo1BE5o&feature=youtu.be

[Caminofeld]

Cows are raised with the specific intention of being slaughtered. If not for the slaughter they would never have lived.

Lies, Marketing, name brands, consumerism,TV, trends, etc...they make people want to have more babies. Then they can sell you more crap.

Stop letting them trick you into breeding for the slaughter.

I'm not so sure about that...I think if anything many gainfully employed Americans in the middle class and above are so enamored by the BS that they are having less kids because they have been made to be completely self-absorbed by media and advertising. I know many people like this, and they usually refer to themselves as "DINKS" (dual income, no kids). The lower class are having more babies because of many factors including (but not limited to) ignorance to birth control, a search for meaning and self-worth, and the amount of Government handouts they receive for every child they have.

Not all people have babies because they are brainwashed by the system. In fact, I'm the exact opposite. I'm looking forward to eventually raising a large family so that I can perpetuate what I believe to be a strong belief system of independence and being a force of good in the world...and I'm already raising my first child without television with the intent of preventing him from being a brainwashed sheep.

[DohcBikes]

So not helping to overpopulate the earth is selfish,,,hmmm ok.

Being a "dink' is also a trend in which eventually most couple split because only one actually has the stones to follow through. Trust me on this I lived it.

Anyone that says "I make my kids live a certain way so they don't get brainwashed" should examine their own values and expectations. Technology and social interaction are good things, by the way. There's no responsible way to plan a large family in these times, and you won't change my mind by saying "oh but...but... me and my family are different..." No you aren't, consumer. Nothing personal caminofeld but you're on the internet so your words of purity in consumerism are lost on me.

[6speedthumper]

I think what caminofeld is saying, is that he wants his kids to grow up similar to the time he grew up, without all the "gangsta" bs on television, in music, or seeing the shallow people on reality shows that influence today's youth into acting/behaving like they're "cool sh%t". Can't stand a smart mouthed kid that acts "gangsta", or like some prissy b*tch with an attitude that can't say "yes, sir", "hello, sir", "how are you ma'm", "here, let me get the door", and so one. And, by god, whatever happened to firm handshake!!! They should be teaching that in school instead of a lot of the crap they are teaching. Of course, parenting is the biggest issue, and I see a lot of people my age that allow their kids to be disrespectful, let them watch all the reality shows they want, don't encourage them to get off the rears, away from the video game, etc... Oh, and I could be wrong about caminofeld's idea of child rearing, lol.

[DohcBikes]

Every problem you listed above is a result of overpopulation. All the world's big problems are. Less people equals more resources.

[ironchop]

Narcissism.........that's the real problem with the population....not too many people on Earth (just yet) IMO, just too many dicks.

everyone is a special fkn snowflake. Everyone who scored a 12 on their ACT can still be an astronaut. Every highschool dropout deserves a college degree. Every person should make the same pay as any other regardless of skill, work ethic, or experience. You don`t even have to live with the genitalia or boobs that you were born with.

You are still intelligent, attractive, fit, courageous, special, deserving, entitled, qualified, righteous, and a hero.......despite REALITY

You get a cookie because someone said you deserve one even if you`re a screaming Loser of Epic Proportions. A winner, every one!

A billion responsible and considerate people are not your real problem......but a billion self-serving, selfish, and unaccountable little jackasses pulling at the toilet handle ensures we all get flushed down with the turds.

just my opinion

[fabiodriven]

Technology and social interaction are good things, by the way.

Technology + social interaction = Facebook, internet forums (such as this one)


Nothing personal caminofeld but you're on the internet so your words of purity in consumerism are lost on me.

People from the internet, I.E. Three Wheeler world, Facebook, are not possible for you to understand.

I think I get it. I went to Germany once and I didn't have any idea what anyone was saying, but it was certainly a good time.

[DohcBikes]

I think I get it. I went to Germany once and I didn't have any idea what anyone was saying, but it was certainly a good time.Very interesting.

I went to Mexico once knowing full well how to speak Spanish. Since the Mexicans assumed I couldn't understand their language, they would say things that they would probably not say to me under normal circumstances. Since this amused me, I continued to let them think I didn't understand what they were saying.

[6speedthumper]

Every problem you listed above is a result of overpopulation. All the world's big problems are. Less people equals more resources.

Has nothing to do with overpopulation. Has to do with morals, values, the "golden rule", and parenting. When I was growing up, if you were a smart ass, gave attitude, talked back, mouthed off, acted "cool", you got punished. I wasn't the only one that was raised that way and most adults of the time would "put a kid in his/her place", when they misbehaved. Those adults were family/friends of a child's family. I'm not yet 30, so this wasn't very long ago. Seems the current generation of parents find the above behavior as cute, or funny, and accept it as the way things are.

[Slingblade]

There is one absolute certainty.

A conversation about an ebola death, Jesse Jackson, and racism will inevitably result in a discussion of foreign languages, overpopulation, child rearing, and the killing of livestock.

Happens everytime.

[El Camexican]

There is one absolute certainty.

A conversation about an ebola death, Jesse Jackson, and racism will inevitably result in a discussion of foreign languages, overpopulation, child rearing, and the killing of livestock.

Happens everytime. Main thing is we're all having a good time!!!:beer

[Caminofeld]

Well jeez, I suppose I should have elaborated a bit more... As human beings, we are all consumers...we consume air, food, electricity, gasoline, etc. So to label me as "consumer" you are correct. However, I'm assuming that you meant that in a derogatory way...which was to say that I'm brainwashed by advertising, pop culture, and the allure of money and status. This I can assure you I am absolutely not. My "purity" is not tainted because I use the internet or occasionally watch TV. My favorite thing to consume is knowledge, which I believe is more powerful than millions of dollars or the hottest new fashion trend. Knowledge can save the world and can be passed down through generations. I use the internet and television mostly for educational purposes, but occasionally for socializing and entertainment as well. The difference between me watching TV and my son is that I have been around long enough to realize how advertising works and pay it no mind. I also know the difference between quality programming and trash. A child is still very impressionable and can be misguided or confused by the messages seen on TV or the web. A young child can also be easily overstimulated by these things, which can lead to developmental problems. In fact, the recommendation now is not to introduce TV until around the age of 2...and even then, to only do it in small amounts. This being said, I have chosen not to let the TV and video games raise my children. When the time comes, they will be allowed to watch limited amounts of age-appropriate programming. I don't want them to be like so many of my friends, who passed up so many great experiences to stay in their basement and play video games. As far as technology is concerned, it is quite impressive and has many benefits. The problem is that all the new technology is pulling kids further away from face-to-face interactions and they are having more difficulty socializing...which is where the selfishness, rudeness, and lack of respect/manners seems to stem from. Conversation is such an integral part of the human experience and I feel that current trends are causing newer generations to miss out on that. Being adept at conversing can allow you to experience and learn from people of all ages and backgrounds, which makes for a well-rounded, worldly, and informed person. Hope this clarifies my previous response.