THE BAD–>
Youtube strikes again. God bless it. The news keeps running the sad video of the middle school boys bullying the elderly bus monitor. Have you seen it? It's a gem! By minute 3 you will have heard so many F words and disgusting insults (and it's 10+ minutes long) you will want to turn it off. It's guaranteed to tick you off with a capital T. What is wrong with our world? Who thinks this is okay?
I've watched the footage on several different tv channels. The respones have been pretty much the same. Outrage! Bullying an older lady (who is there to HELP YOU), recording it with a cellphone and posting it up on Youtube….classy! Not one kid, not even two…a whole group of kids are doing the taunting! I'll admit it….I'm angry over this and you should be angry too!
Who are the parents of these kids? If you think for one minute that these kids just got caught up in a moment and made a mistake, you are naive. This is a lifestyle. This is a learned behavior. These are actions that come naturally to them. Listen to how easily they spoke and spewed their filth! I watched a clip of one of the student's father…he claimed to be heartbroken. I would bet that he's more embarrassed than heartbroken. No one likes to get caught being horrible and when the whole world is watching and judging, it is humiliating!
Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."
I've heard that Karen Klein (the victim) has a blogger fan. Someone felt so moved by this act of horror that they started up a fund for her to go on a much needed & deserved vacation. I love that! But let's not forgot the people in this video. Are they being punished? I'm not talking about are they getting grounded by their OBVIOUS stellar parents. I mean, is the school taking some sort of action against this sort of misbhavior? These students do not deserve to ride on the school bus. They also lack the integrity it takes to participate in any school sponsored activities. Surely the threats to stab her in the stomach warrant some sort of expulsion from school? Right?
THE GOOD–>
I understand this little guy's motives. Six year old Joseph Armento sent his life savings, $3.36 to his favorite NFL player Brandon Jacobs when he heard he'd been traded. I felt the same desperation when I heard Peyton Manning was leaving the Colts. When Brandon Jacobs got the news that someone loved him enough to invest all he had, it moved him to tears. He contacted the family and agreed to meet with them for a day of fun. He told them it was just the encouragement he needed at a time when he was feeling pretty low. WOW! What a great do good moment!
Not only was Joseph used to bless Brandon Jacobs—Brandon was able to turn that love back. He paid Joseph $5 for his loan and signed a NY Giants helmet as a gift. Sometimes all we need is to know someone believes in us.
The story of a child giving all he had in his piggy bank to help someone else in a rough situation gives me hope. It also reminds me that not every parent is ignoring their kids character development. As a mom, I learned a long time ago that there are no DAYS OFF from being a parent. Every single day, kids are watching and listening…you and I have two choices. Good or Bad?
Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love."
