Bus Bullies: The Fallout

Hello people. I'm sure you've all heard about the middle school bus bullies from Greece, NY and have seen at least some of the video. Now, their parents have apologized (on camera, of course) to the elderly woman their charming children verbally abused and threatened. They're just sick about it all. Well, parents, you reap what you sew. These bullies, all bullies, lack empathy, respect and, most importantly, humanity. These are all things that are taught by you, their parents. You have failed, miserably, at the most important job of your life; Parenting. Everyone is debating what should happen to the kids who did this. I, for one, believe spending say 30 days scrubbing buses with a toothbrush might be appropriate. I also believe their bus passes should be permanently revoked. However, I also believe we should discuss what should happen to their parents who are, at the very least, co-conspirators. Kids will be kids. Kids can be mean. We all know this. But kids can also be kind and caring. It's all in how they're raised. In the past month we've heard stories about a girl who got in trouble for defending a special needs student against bullies on the bus. She was banned from the bus. She said she'd do it again. Then there was the Ohio high school junior who stopped during a state track meet to help an injured rival finish the race. She even made sure the injured girl finished ahead of her. What is the difference between these two girls and the hoodlums on the Greece school bus? Parenting. The parents of the hoodlums say their kids made a mistake and have suffered enough. They've been publicly humiliated and ostracized by their peers. Apparently these parents, and subsequently their kids, still haven't grasped the fact that all of this happened because they posted their behavior on the internet. They thought their behavior was their shot at 15 minutes of fame. They were SHOCKED that other people didn't find their behavior as funny as they did. Thus, their lack of humanity. These kids never thought that what they were doing was bad. They thought it was funny. Now, as the story took on a life of it's own and the victim is being compensated for her suffering, they (the hoodlums and their parents) think it's over. It's enough. They've learned their lesson. Um, I respectfully say, not by a  long shot. Bullying has become a national epidemic. People, kids especially, are dying because of it. Sometimes saying you're sorry (especially when we know you're not) just isn't enough. These bullies, these hoodlums, these kids being raised without respect, empathy or humanity are our FUTURE! This makes the future, my friends, look a little grim. What can we expect from the next generation? You know, the kids that will be raised by this generation? I say we draw the line here. This story has gained world wide attention. Now is the time to make an example of the hoodlums AND their parents. If you want to raise little hoodlums and set them loose on the rest of us, then you are a responsible for their behavior as they are. Punish the kids AND hold their parents responsible. 30 days and toothbrushes all around!
Sway