Another set of Rhodes scholars

I've come to realize that we really are a society of self-centered, egotistical people. I try not to be but, hey, sometimes it just happens. I'd like to believe that I was raised right by my parents and observe the Golden Rule. For those not in the know, this means treating others as you wish to be treated. Plus, I think karma can turn around and bite you in the butt when you're least expecting it, so do people right. Open doors for people, maybe let someone ahead of you in the grocery line when you have 55 items and they only have two, offer a seat on a bus or subway to an older person. Why this sudden introspective approach? Well, folks, gather around and I'll regale you with the tale of two girls who cried "discrimination".

I'm sure you have heard about these two brainiacs on a Southwest Airlines flight from Tampa to Los Angeles. They didn't get their way after throwing fits (according to other witnesses), and were detained by police when they arrived in sunny L.A. They cried discrimination for the manner in which they were treated. Was it because of their race, gender, ethnicity, religious affliation? Nope, because they were "too pretty" (their words, not mine). After running this story for all to read and see, the general consensus is that these girls have issues and that their parents were apparently sorely lacking in the discpline department. Others have hypothesized that it was all an act to get their 15 minutes of fame ever since this other Mensa candidate got her face plastered on every media outlet in the country. I'm not saying these girls were ugly, but I don't think they were beautiful enough to support their claims that they were so pretty that others were moved to jealous attacks. As the one girl claimed, "we were the only people on the plane that looked like us." What exactly does that mean? That you didn't have identical twins travelling with you? Are you deluded enough to believe that no one on that plane looked as young, dressed as well (purely in their own minds), or were as pretty (subjective) as you?

If I were one of these girls acting as they did on the plane, my parents would have beat my ass all the way back from LA to Tampa. They certainly wouldn't have allowed me to get on national television and cry and whine about how I didn't get what I wanted, when I wanted, and claim discrimination. I blame the media for this. If I were at the news station and heard this story, I certainly wouldn't have sent people to cover it, let alone sensationalize it into what it's become. Wake up people! These kids have a sense of self-entitlement because their parents let them believe it to be so. Take this lady for example. (Just FYI, she cried discrimination too. Guess it's the "buzzword" nowadays when you don't like the outcome to a situation.) Don't call me when the kid goes nuts because you finally told him no and he kills your whole family (not kidding here, seems to be happening more and more often). If the parents don't follow the rules, how can you expect their kids to follow them.

I see plenty of people nowadays not disciplining their kids. I'm not talking about beating them or even spanking them. I'm talking about telling them no, and that they're not always going to get their way. It's not the end of the world and they're going to have to deal with it eventually. It's a fact of life and the sooner kids know about it, and learn to deal with it in their own way, the better the world will be. We have become a society all about the "me, me, me." Our kids have been raised so that they expect to win everytime and that they are entitled to everything they want. We need to change this right now, or weep for the future. These could be your future leaders. Scary, huh?

Please use your "inside" voice at life.sa.laugh@hotmail.com.