<Rant> Where has courtesy gone?

[Ranger REG]

My children are neither rude, nor foolish, neither have they ever been physically punished. Corporal punishment is banned in Sweden, and has been for decades. Its a sad day when a parent knows no other resort than physical violence in order to teach a child empathy.

And what do Swedes do with unruly children, because honestly, I cannot see that being nonexistent anywhere?

 

[mojo1701]

And what do Swedes do with unruly children, because honestly, I cannot see that being nonexistent anywhere?

Wait until they're 18: then they become the state's problem.

 

[Hijinks]

I have a new rudeness story.

Myself and the lady that sits next to me find it very hard to work sometimes because we sit in the middle of a thoroughfare on our floor, and nearby is where the accounting people all stand around and BS and talk loudly. So we put up signs (with our supervisor's permission of course) that say "Quiet please! Thank you!" And we both wear headphones and play music so we can try to focus on our work.

This one woman walked over and stood right between our desks and said "La la la la!" really loudly. Then when we looked at her, she said "Oh I saw your quiet sign and had to make myself known." I just sort of smiled vaguely and tried to refocus on my work. Then she said something that I didn't hear because of my music, so I turned off the music and took off my headphones and said "I'm sorry, what?" to which she replied "you're not laughing" (at her joke, I assume).

Um, the "quiet" sign is there for a REASON, lady! You've now distracted me from my work twice, and not for work related crap either! Go AWAY! GAWD! And this is a supervisor of our department - you'd think she'd want us to be able to work.

As for the looting in New Orleans and elsewhere, and the people who are shooting guns and having riots, they make me ashamed to be an American. Be scared, be worried about your home and property, be upset because of an injury, take food that's lying around rotting ...but there's no reason to riot, and there's no reason to steal crap you don't need.

I feel horrible for the people down south, but when they're on the television screaming and yelling about some stupid crap that doesn't matter, when people are trying to help them and they're too busy stealing and beating each other up, then I tend to not feel so bad.

 

[mojo1701]

I have a new rudeness story.

Myself and the lady that sits next to me find it very hard to work sometimes because we sit in the middle of a thoroughfare on our floor, and nearby is where the accounting people all stand around and BS and talk loudly. So we put up signs (with our supervisor's permission of course) that say "Quiet please! Thank you!" And we both wear headphones and play music so we can try to focus on our work.

This one woman walked over and stood right between our desks and said "La la la la!" really loudly. Then when we looked at her, she said "Oh I saw your quiet sign and had to make myself known." I just sort of smiled vaguely and tried to refocus on my work. Then she said something that I didn't hear because of my music, so I turned off the music and took off my headphones and said "I'm sorry, what?" to which she replied "you're not laughing" (at her joke, I assume).

Um, the "quiet" sign is there for a REASON, lady! You've now distracted me from my work twice, and not for work related crap either! Go AWAY! GAWD! And this is a supervisor of our department - you'd think she'd want us to be able to work.

Sounds like something from "Office Space."

 

[Ranger REG]

Wait until they're 18: then they become the state's problem.

Good luck trying to reason a child for the first 18 years of its life before you are allowed to give up.

 

[green slime]

And what do Swedes do with unruly children, because honestly, I cannot see that being nonexistent anywhere?

True, it exists. Yet, what you suggest would imply that the problem of unruly children should be rife in Sweden, because of the lack of corporal punishment. Of course there are always going to be misfits in any society. Due to all sorts of reasons (which we won't get into here). In general, criminals don't think of the possibility of punishment when they commit their crimes, as they don't anticipate getting caught. Do small children really ponder the possibility of getting a thrashing before doing something wrong? After doing something wrong, a child's greatest fear must be loosing a parent's approval, respect and love. Of course, if the child feels doesn't have that to begin with....

Somehow, the idea of beating a child to teach it empathy strikes me as.... odd. There are other ways to show a child the error of its ways. Someone who resorts to violence is someone who has no ability or capacity to otherwise handle the situation. Or perhaps they are just too darn lazy.

 

[Ranger REG]

Somehow, the idea of beating a child to teach it empathy strikes me as.... odd. There are other ways to show a child the error of its ways. Someone who resorts to violence is someone who has no ability or capacity to otherwise handle the situation. Or perhaps they are just too darn lazy.

Meh. I guess if have children, I would try to find other method of parenting, but having been raised old-school (what you get for having a 49-year-old dad when you were born), I do see there are times, though rare, the need for discipline.

Such discipline would separate those who can criticize constructively over those who think it's cool to say "This sucks! You sucks!" but lack maturity and depth.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Some of you know me IRL, some only from here on ENWorld, some from other boards, and a few from all three.

I was raised by my father. A man who joined the Army the same day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. His grandmother came out of the house and informed all the men on the farm that "Them damned Nips just bombed us. You boys go sign up, if you come back, I'll kill ya." And the old woman was serious.

I spent a LOT of my life locked up or in the front leaning rest position. First at home underneath the unflinching (but fair, constant and logical) discipline of my father. I did something wrong, I paid the penalty.

I remember being paddled, bare assed, with a wooden paddle, by a principal in grade school. The backs of my hands have scars from the edge of a ruler in mlitary school where I spent my summers.

I have manners. A lot of them.

I say sir and ma'am. I hold open doors, I allow ladies to go first, I smile at children, I help people who have broken down, I've carried groceries, etc.

But I'm a mean, nasty, rude son of a bitch when treated with rudeness.

But here's why I think so many people are rude.

They can get away with it, and it makes them feel cool, special, and badass.

On TV, it's the rude, sarcastic assclown whose the darling of the show. Usually an ignorant retard who puts down the polite and educated costar, and also gets the chicks.

Vulgarity is seen as being better than politeness. Only geeks or nerds are polite, the cool guys are rude and sarcastic.

Plus, they know no matter what they say to you, thier chances of getting a sock in the grill is neglible.

I punched a person in the mouth for calling my wife a foul name and said: "Not your god, [female dog]." after the first word, which started with a C, ended with a T, and wasn't CAT beacuse he sneezed and she said: "Bless you.". He was absolutely SHOCKED that I would do that, since he did it in front of my kids, disrepected my wife, and made a rude gesture.

His shocked observation was: "What was that for?"

He honestly had no clue why I felt vulgarity and profanity in front of my children aimed toward my wife was unacceptable.

You may say that my right to swing my fist ends where your skin begins, but your right to run your mouth ends when you disrespect me or mine past bearing.

But those of you that know me, know I'm gentle, nice, polite, kind and am quick to lend a helping hand.

Rudeness is on the rise, because it's free, and has no repercussions, and is cool.

Plain and simple.

And nobody is willing to stop it.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Somehow, the idea of beating a child to teach it empathy strikes me as.... odd. There are other ways to show a child the error of its ways. Someone who resorts to violence is someone who has no ability or capacity to otherwise handle the situation. Or perhaps they are just too darn lazy.

Yeah, it's working so well, isn't it. Letting little Johnny just express himself, or allowing them to empower themselves.

Violence is an acceptable solution to a situation when all other solutions have failed.

 

[jgbrowning]

I punched a person in the mouth for calling my wife a foul name and said: "Not your god, [female dog]." after the first word, which started with a C, ended with a T, and wasn't CAT beacuse he sneezed and she said: "Bless you.". He was absolutely SHOCKED that I would do that, since he did it in front of my kids, disrepected my wife, and made a rude gesture.

His shocked observation was: "What was that for?"

He honestly had no clue why I felt vulgarity and profanity in front of my children aimed toward my wife was unacceptable.

You may say that my right to swing my fist ends where your skin begins, but your right to run your mouth ends when you disrespect me or mine past bearing.

Wow. I'm amazed he didn't sue your butt to kingdom come. You expressly don't have the right to use violence just because you've been offended.

Although I understand your sentiment, in this exchange it appears like you were the one more in the wrong.

joe b.