AMERICA: Our society's breakdown

The older I get, the more distance I realize exists between my instilled mores and those of present day generations. Society's desirable honor codes and values, once learned and emulated on two fronts, seem forgotten or lost.

The first front use to occur at home where parents took responsibility for their children's early upbringing. Past customs, rules and consequences are no longer acceptable parenting disciplinary skills. Teaching right from wrong is to be accomplished through time-outs, restricted TV time or no Xbox. Today's parents even lay blame on fast food chains for making their families fat.

The second front, where acceptable standards were reinforced, was during school years. Teachers no longer instill order or respect because discipline is limited to administrators, psychologists or lawyers. How can teachers establish role model authority figures when their dress standards are no longer formal, but questionable?

As maturing adults we were to use the home and our education as foundations to develop self-reliance and to learn to take responsibility for our own actions. Instead, our society has been led to believe there are little consequences for our own deeds. Others are to blame. Wants and needs are deserved, not earned.

The most recent devastating scenes coming from Japan speaks volumes to America's lost honor codes. We observed a well ordered Japanese society caring for their own needs. Its people were not looting, were not unruly, were not demonstrating with protest signs for government to intervene and provide. What we saw instead were people doing for themselves, tending to others, and waiting patiently in long lines for limited water and rice. In sharp contrast I remember how Americans acted and displayed their incompetence and values during Hurricane Katrina.

I wonder why we seem to be failing... or is it just me because I'm getting old?

K.A. "KEN" CATALANO

Coeur d'Alene