Varsity View Woes

So reading the Winnipeg Free Press today I find myself reading an article about the damage being caused by a group of inconsiderate punks riding ATVs through the soccer fields where my daughter plays. The conflict here is that this reporting of cutting of the fences and destruction of the fields is not found in one of our crime ridden innercity neighbourhoods but in the relatively quiet, low crime area of Charleswood, previously one of the more desirable areas of the city in which to live. One may point the finger as many do at the low rental housing that has popped up around the area, or the number of grouphomes that have opened house here, but the reality is poor people do not buy their kids ATVs and dirt bikes. The real culprit here is a total lack of culpability on the part of the parents of these kids in ensuring that their dear sons and daughters are obeying the rules and showing respect for others. It saddens me as a single mom that the potential is there for my children to learn this level of dissrespect in the community because I have worked as hard as I can to teach my kids better.

The question then becomes if the parents won't teach respect and adherance to rules both legislated and unwritten, who should? First and foremost these kids and yes I have seen enough of them at this park to accurately say they are almost as a whole under 18, need to be charged by the Police and should be made to serve their punishments in the form of community service repairing the damadge they have caused. Laws about offroad ridership are meaninless if not enforced. The Police should also have the right to, and should be siezing the vehicles of anyone caught riding them out of bounds, irregardless of who is the owner. Making the parents account for allowing these kids to recklessly damage the fields and endanger the children using them is paramount. They are after all the people ultimately in charge of allowing their sons and daughters use of the quads and bikes. The schools need to be involved as well. Yes, I know they have no idea who is operating these machines, and they really have no involvement in what goes on outside of school hours but the current anti-bullying and respect campaigns carried out in the public school systems here are way too soft hearted to have any effect what-so-ever. Untill everyone, the Police, the schools and us as parent stop holding our kids hands and saying "there there its ok" when they are in trouble, this will continue to happen and contine to escalate. Parents need to know its ok and justifiable to ground your kids and take privelages away! Spanking may not be the answer now a days, and certainly wouldn't be with a teenager, but selling the quad or dirt bike or wii, xbox or  whatever may just be!

Just my 2 cents.......