the design conservative | tdc

A word about kids today

Today, Levi Johnston appeared on the CBS Early Show for the first of two - yes, two - segments airing today and tomorrow.*

As a strong supporter of Governor Sarah Palin, I wasn’t particularly interested in watching the interview for the sake of hearing what Mr. Johnston would say.  Presumably, his comments were going to be disparaging and not very well-articulated (if I may be so blunt).  However, in the interest of being informed, I decided to track down the video of the interview and watch it online.

To be sure, Mr. Johnston did not disappoint.  As usual, his manner was shyly insecure and his speech “lazy” (as my family elders would say).  And most of the revelations he offered in the course of the almost eight-minute segment were unflattering - to the Palin family and, more importantly, to himself:

” … I have things that can, you know - that would get her in trouble, and could hurt her. Will hurt her. But I’m not gonna go that far. You know, I mean, if I really wanted to hurt her, I could, very easily. But there’s - I’m not gonna do it. I’m not going that far.”

When I hear things like this from Mr. Johnston, I wonder about the circumstances of his life that make him choose to threaten the well-being of the family of his own son.  A family that, by his own admission, he was once lovingly welcomed into.

Unfortunately,  this young father is representative of too many of our kids.  When things don’t go their way, or they feel limited in their own abilities to achieve success on the merits of character, talent, or intellect…they turn to vengeance.  Their frustration spurs them, not into positive action, but into mean-spirited outbursts.

Recent events illustrate that whether they take place in a Chicago schoolyard or outside a California high school, the decisions of a misguided teenager can have tragic and life-altering results.

I am not attempting to equate Levi Johnston’s crusade against the Palin family to the violent, and criminal, behavior of the incidents noted above.  But, the root of all of these actions are the same.  Somewhere along the way, our society seems to have drifted away from the traditions of mutual respect and decorum that were once the norm.

I don’t know Levi Johnston, and I don’t know the Palin family.  Thus, I won’t go so far as to say what is or is not true in what is being said.  What it is evident to me, however, is that this situation is a very real illustration of the two ways one can respond to challenging circumstances in life.

Levi Johnston has chosen a path that may remedy his immediate struggles, but will ultimately leave him without a foundation upon which to build the rest of his life.

Alternatively, my hope for kids, like Levi, today?  That they recognize their own value - their character, talents, and intellect - and choose a path of perhaps slightly more resistance, but much greater reward.

- tdc

*Governor Palin’s response to Levi Johnston’s CBS interview:

We have purposefully ignored the mean spirited, malicious and untrue attacks on our family. We, like many, are appalled at the inflammatory statements being made or implied. Trig is our ‘blessed little angel’ who knows it and is lovingly called that every day of his life. Even the thought that anyone would refer to Trig by any disparaging name is sickening and sad. CBS should be ashamed for continually providing a forum to propagate lies. Consider the source of the most recent attention-getting lies - those who would sell their body for money reflect a desperate need for attention and are likely to say and do anything for even more attention.”

Thoughts?