Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comBaby-faced dad, 13, stokes ‘broken BritainÃÂÂ&cen
Seeded on Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:03 PM EST (msnbc.com)
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Wish AP writers or their editors would learn to spell 'strait-laced.'
Why? It's correct either way.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/straight-laced
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/strait-laced
And they say we are screwed up? Well we are . I just dislike their pompous attitude about how great they all are. I am talking about the Europeans in general
moral relativism
Everyone just sticks their head in the sand and pretends everything is permissible. Funny thing though, those "antiquated" rules about how to behave in a society actually had a purpose. Who knew?
Children are not born with ethics; just because they know the difference between right and wrong does not mean they will choose right unless given some compelling reason to choose right. That compelling reason is what defines societal ethics. Clearly there is no compelling reason to not impregnate someone at the age of 12. Not only is this boy shedding all personal responsibility by entering into a relationship that he cant possibly support but so too did his parents shed all of their responsibility by allowing the situation to happen. You dont keep your child from sleeping around by holding them under lock and key like some would suggest is the only way to do it. You prevent them from doing such behavior by first removing influences from their life that suggest such action is acceptable and then you actually parent your child by conveying to them morals and ethics through a learned process that starts at birth. Its not a guarantee to work, but it will work in the vast majority of all cases. If you think that having a kid as a preteen or teen is wrong then you unequivocally in no uncertain terms state to your child that such behavior is unacceptable. The thing is the parents enjoy using moral relativism in their own lives and as such they can not make such absolute statements because their actions speak louder than their hollow words. If the parents actions say everything is permissible then the child knows that there are no absolutes and everything is contingent on what they feel like doing.
Well, for heavens' sakes--where were these boy's parents? Where were her parents?
Absent, apparently.
i say there is nothing you can do about it. whats done is done. either the boy and the girl raise their daughter, or the childrens parents do... don't make a big deal about a young boy having a child at a young age...
That would be the everything is permisible I was talking about.
Its not that the past can be changed or that the future will be different. Its just that under the current system this should be expected to happen again and again until such a time that the system changes. The whole point was that this is what is to be expected from our current society.
poverty is the cause of this! if those poor people only had social services and public assistance to give them a hand up this would not happen, they need to raise taxes
Poverty is not the cause. America, and other western countries have gone through periods of dire poverty, some fairly recently, without devolving into social depravity. Social morality, fundamental ethics of interpersonal relationships, and basic human responsibility lie at the root cause of houliganism and hedonism. Our interpersonal acts define who we are as indivuals, as wll as those who raised and educated us. Some of he great principles of moral courage, selflessness, human decency, and honor were at the core of late 18th century and early 19th century British and American literature, at that time commonly read by the youth of both countries. Regretfully, no longer so, replaced by pop culture and moral relativism, which has sown the seeds of cynicism, corruption, selfishness, depravity, and not so latent return to savage barbarism. Who is to blame? There are many factors, but a fruitful place to start is the public school system which harbors too many "teachers" whose jobs, to them, represent no more than just a job, and who constantly whine about not being paid enough. Put that ilk is an autocractic system that abhors any reference to age old principles of morality and embraces cultural equivalency, and the results should be obvious, even to the most obtuse.
heeheeeheeee.....I get your sarcasm and humor hilobamacaine.....nice screen name play as well......give 'em more social programs, I like it!!
No worries - Sharia law will fix it all. It's already in place. The "smart" areas won't have to worry about it - until it's right in their faces.
Whose genius idea was it to ask for quotes from mr./mrs. John Q. Taxpayer? The highest ranking, most important person with an opinion on this matter was a former press secretary for Margaret Thatcher!? Any credibility for this article or it's viewpoints flew out the window at that. Poor form from the AP.
Maybe so, but in an effort to get a picture of general British society, it makes sense to me that they should ask opinions of Mr. Everyman.
We are all getting to a point where "religious hippocracy" and "pure lazyness" by modern societies is no longer going to be an option! And we've done it to ourselves! This child's father DOES NOT HAVE A RIGHT to willingly produce 9 welfare recipients! Then congratulate his 13 year old son for producing another! We just had a 33 year old woman who does not have a dime outside of our tax dollars - have a fertility clinic produce a litter of 8, even though they knew she already has 6 at home that the public is paying for. I can not believe this is even legal. Oh yeh - some of us whine about it - BUT WE STILL PAY and that is why they do it. They also surround themselves with religious nut case supporters, greedy publicists, greedy lawyers and in her case A PLASTIC SURGEON! She will never contribute a dime to the children but she did successfully sue her previous employer for $175,000.00 for having hurt her back - thus prohuibiting her ability to work again - BUT NOT TO CARRY 8 MORE BABIES IN HER BELLY! Look at her picture! We need to sue the doctors who did this, force her to stay home and directly take care of HER BROOD and pass well thought out laws that will stop this madness from continuing. Everyone involved from the woman and to the plastic surgeon who did her up like her movie idle sucked our society for the big bucks and their own greedy selfishness. She even said she has plans to go to college full time and have the college provide day care fro her 14 kids while she studies! I have a better idea - let her stay in the doctor's home and take care of the 14 kids she produced - sop that some better deserving person can go to college. A just society does not provide for - and therefore encourage - this kind of behavior.
Religious horses rule?
the really funny part whas that her employer was the state of california! no wonder they are printing iou's
We dont even know for sure this kid is the father. No one has done a paternity test to determine if he fathered the child. From what I read in british newspapers two other teens have admitted sleeping with the girl. The kid in the interviews I have seen he looks like he has some developemental issues. I dont want to see kids who get pregnant stigmatized but something has to be done for these kids before they get to this point. Sad to say some of these parents just dont have a clue abt educating their kids abt this. Britian has alot of social problems like alot of countries do and how they handle them will determine what the country will be like in 30yrs
Alfie may indeed not be the father.
Many years ago, in my "nice" hometown here in the USA a girl in my class was impregnated by a family member. At the time, out of fear and shame she did not tell anyone what really happened, and no one asked. She simply was sent away for a while and when she returned she tried to take up her life where it had left off. There was a tacit understanding that nobody would say anything -- at least in public.
It would not surprise me in the least to learn that that is what happened to Chantelle.
Sadly, that kind of thing has happened in many different times -- including the uptight Victorian era -- and in many different places, not just England or the US.
Maybe what we all need is a sense that what we do matters, that we're not just "another brick in the wall."
I feel for little Maisie. None of this is her fault. What chance is she going to have?
Doesn't paint a very rosy picture of Life in Britain, does it?
Is this were we put on our "Doh!" T-shirts, sweat pants and waddle around holding do-nuts in the air yelling "USA!! USA!!"?
Betcha we got PLENTY of 13-y-o babby-daddies over here, they just don't make the news, and our teens don't screw around with knives, they gun each other down at bus stops.
Hey John,
They would gun eachother down too if they didn't outlaw guns. People think making them illegal will solve crime problem, but people will just find other means to commit crimes. It is so stupid.
Well it would certainly be interesting to see them switch to katanas, crossbows, poisons, acid, flaming oils, pepperspray, stunguns and any number of other weapons. Of course if your intent was to kill the other kid, you'd have to combine some of these, but whatever - kids have ingenuity.
Well at least they don't have to worry about drive-by knifings, or people in the vicinity being stabbed by accident by stray knives while in their homes.
What I don't understand is why articles like this aren't published in the U.S. I am a 16 year old high school student from Erie, PA, and they make it seem like the Youth of america are better than the youth of Britain. Thats not true. I hate my peers. So many of them ruin themselves the same way that these kids in britain do. if not to an even more sever degree. Just in the past 8 months we've had a shooting and a stabbing. On top of it all a good 2/3 of the student body goes out and gets drunk or high EVERY weekend. I Think that it is appalling that articles and exposes of this sort aren't printed in regard to the teens of America. Maybe our government and legislature just don't care. Or maybe they desperately want to portray America as the superior country. The truth is. The youth of america is just as bad if not worse.
The problem is our sin...... the answer is Jesus!!
What was the question again?
Actually, the growing opinion in Britain is that these kids need Allah.
Chilren should not be having children... this isn't a moral judgement, its common sense.
Just as it would be common sense to ensure your daughter is on birth control before you let her have "sleep overs" with boys. And no, she is not going to remember to take a pill everday - so get her the arm implant. This is one of these areas where parents have to remember that they are parents and not their children's "best friends" - they have peers for that. As parents its time to make the hard and tough decisions.
They can turn this into a class issue if they want, but the reality is that it the instance of teen pregancy deminishes as you move up the socio-economic ladder.
"Just as it would be common sense to ensure your daughter is on birth control before you let her have "sleep overs" with boys."
OR you could put your foot down and say "no sleepovers with boys!"
JennyLee, you call a parent's tough decision being making the call to have birth control implants done to your daughter?!! How about the tough decision being to not let your daughter do "sleep overs" at a boy's house? I think you have unwittingly clarified the problem with some societal issues.
That's kind of dumb. So at what age did you start allowing YOUR daughter to do "sleepovers" at boy's houses?
Mine didn't do that until she went away to college, but by then she was 18...
I've been noticing articles about this on USA news sites, decrying the "handwringing" going on in Britain over these babies having babies. I then go to BBC.com and can't even find a mention of the event. I have only heard about it from US sources. Wouldn't the BBC be posting some articles about it if it was really panicking everybody so much? And one US article I read quoted teen-birth rates for the US as well as European countries -- the US rate was nearly double that in Great Britain. Maybe we yanks need to remember the number of our own fingers pointing back at us while we are pointing one finger at someone else.
Alfie's daughter Maisie was reportedly conceived when he was 12. Chantelle's parents let the lad spend the night with their daughter, 14 at the time, at their public housing unit near Eastbourne, 70 miles southeast of London.
And the parents are doing what while all this is transpiring?
seeing as how they live in public housing they where probably working 7 jobs apiece ha ha
They should outlaw knifes also.
But what would I cut my steak with? D=
A paternity test definitely is in order. Moral standards are lacking not only in Britain but in the USA as well. Sometimes young people just don't have their "heads screwed on straight". How many young single women in any country other than here have had births through fertility... octuplets and already had six other children? She has no job, lives with parents, etc. etc. Can't say young people in any country are worse than others.
Sex education does not work. Abstinence doesn't work either. It all comes down to moral teaching. Two things don't happen anymore: attend church and discipline. How can the parents of this young girl allow guys to sleep with her in their own home? Parents today are lazy. They let their kids do whatever they want because they don't want to be bothered.
This kid doesn't know what 'financially' means... I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't really know how 'the birds & the bees' talk works, either, and is taking the rap for someone else...
They need to take that paternity test yesterday.
Parents are the problem. Irresponsible parents who raise their kids to be irresponsible citizens. Parents must be strict and set a responsible standard and must be very consistent as the role model for their children.
In the light of modern and atheistic thought, why should we panic about such events. If we throw away God and the moral values that are attached to such a belief, then when the result from such abandon should not surprise us. We are in trouble globally and the only source of hope is to return to the principles on which the laws of our land are based - God's laws!
Think it might be a little late for the "birds and bees talk".
Shocking as this may be to some people ignorant of history, this is not new and at some times in various societies it has been considered normal for preteens to be sexually active before puberty and immediately married off by their families after puberty. That does not make it right. Repression generally breeds more lawlessness not less. Victorian England had a righteous façade like the Pharisees of Christ's day but it was full of behind the curtain double standards. Men could not find sexual satisfaction from their "proper" but frigid wives so they found it in many other hidden ways such as sexual fun with the new young maid!
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Three main issues are involved here and should be taught to children from two to one hundred years young: Equal Rights; Parental Rights; Freedom of religion.
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Equal Rights: All humans, regardless of age, sex or race, are created equal and endowed by their creator with equal rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In spite of the findings of some recent "politically correct science", children from a very young age already have the intelligence of an adult yet they are treated like some form of sub-human! What kids are lacking is knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Some adults are still missing much of this! The current law denies the fundamental unalienable right of a preteen or teen to give consent. This sets the stage for legal child abuse by either the parents or Big Brother do-gooder government forcing what they believe to be the "correct" decisions on the child. A preteen or teen knows if a particular experience is good and enjoyable, or bad, frightening and painful. They have the moral right and should have the legal right to say yes or no. No human of any age should ever be forced against their will to do anything that they find frightening, bad or painful.
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Parental Rights: Parents are caretakers, not owners, of their children. They need to spend more TIME teaching their kids how to make good choices not just trying to control them. The parent's choices overrule the choices Big Brother or any other do-gooder adult think should be made. The child's choices overrule the parents when it comes to actions or experiences that the child considers frightening, bad or painful. The child should only be overruled by the parent or the parent by Big Brother when the obvious physical safety of the child is at stake.
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Freedom of Religion: Because of the bloody religious wars in the past, many recognize the need for religious freedom, but the religious freedom many people actually support means, "You can call your religion anything you want but your list of sins better be the same as ours!". Parents, not Big Brother or any other well meaning adult, have the primary right and responsibility to choose the religion, morals and culture their kids are taught. As much as reasonable, the child should live by the rules of the house they are living in. Neither the parents or Big Brother have the right to force the child to believe in and accept their religious, moral or cultural rules that the child does not believe is right. Under the flag of religion or law, neither the parents or Big Brother have the right to force the child to do or experience anything that the child finds frightening, bad or painful.
In this country, in certain parts of Appalachia, it still is!
So what your like 15? 14? and your mad about your parents grounding you?
Given that there are nudist colonies where children run around naked are you really going to try and argue the fact that an adult with an agenda cant talk a child out of their clothing? Children are extremely susceptible to manipulation and in general they have no ability to support themselves financially. Simply put, children when left on their own devices make stupid decisions largely due to the fact that they do not think about the long term ramifications of their decisions. Therefore a structure is needed to care for, train, teach, and provide for minors until they are grown. The current trend is to absolve parents of all of those responsibilities and place it all in the hands of the state. This trend is failing miserably.
but big brother aka taxpayers have the right to support the litters that arise from this behavior?
Europe stopped going to church.
Now Europe has this and much,much more.Youth violence.Youth riots in France,Greece,Spain and Britain.Incredible divorce rates.People in their 20's are suffering from cirrhosis of the liver.
The only thing even more incredible is that they STILL make fun of Americans for believing in God.
religion it basically just simple guideline that people should live by, not to believe the bible is word for word. and stop your bickering about a 13 year old father. he is probably neck high in insults from religion happy nut-heads who are on the god squad already and all the lonely housewife's on the Internet bloging about this his life, it's almost as worst as the people on the highways who have to slow down to see an accident just so they know someone Else's life is more miserable than there own. going back to religion, both the Christians and the Catholics do not believe in condoms and birth control and they are just a little part of over population. another part is about welfare. it is only good if you stay on it temporaraly, not for your whole life like my neighbor, who now just had her 6th child. what people need to do is to start using condoms AND birth control and teach sex ed at a younger age because knowledge is the key to greatness. and also part of the reason the econimy is **** is because people who act rich, who buy nice cars and houses so that they can feel better than others because they have miserable life's , for example, preps in schools use their hate for themselfs and their life to use it against others.
It's really driving me mad how people are criticizing British youth. I'm an American youth and guess what? I know that the Brits are not the only ones "out of control." And it's pretty stupid how the author barely noticed that there are young parents. Let me tell you one thing: there are many youths around the world who are addicted to drugs and are parents. NOT JUST BRITAIN. NO ONE'S PERFECT.
Put something news worthy on here, this little big dick head creep is not worth reading about, He should have his pee pee smacked and she should put on a chasty belt. Not news worthy.