Where Are The Parents?

So normally I stay on the spiritual track, not the political but this blog covers some of each.  Over Christmas a mob of 2,000 teenagers terrorized shoppers at a mall in Louisville, KY.  I know Louisville fairly well, I visited there a number of times.  While there were areas that I didn't feel 'as safe' (just like most cities have), I felt fairly safe there.


Louisville KY, not in CA or NY, in KY is where this happened.  Now before I say how foolish and reckless these kids were, I have to ask, 'Where were the parents?'  There were 2,000 teenagers just out and NO ONE knew what they were doing?  No one had any idea?  No one heard something on the news and realized their child was at the mall and headed there?  No one was at the mall with their child - not necessarily walking with them but being in the same building.


I mean with 2,000 teenagers you are looking at, what at least 3,000 parents (some of the teenagers could be in the same family) but in all likelihood closer to 4,000-5,000 with step-parents included.  None of them were there or within a quick distance?  I'm sorry but I didn't see a single note anywhere about parents arriving and trying to remove their teenagers.  How does this happen?


It happens because many parents don't care, others are afraid they will be the 'mean' parent if they have rules and stick to them.  Still others are so caught up in defending the 'rights' of their precious angels that they forget all the people at that mall had rights too.  And one of those rights is the right to bear arms.  Kentucky is a concealed carry state. 


I have not seen the media have an outcry on this situation.  But if one of those shoppers that was pushed, shoved, terrorized and chased by these hoodlums (yes, I called them hoodlums, if you don't want to be labeled one, don't act like one) had pulled out his/her .38/.380/.357 I bet the headlines would be everywhere.


And heaven forbid that a real parent that is there with a child, puts a well placed bullet in the jackass that is pushing and shoving their small child and causing nightmares that will last for a long time.  I wonder if KY had the new law that TX is enacting of open carry and these teenagers had walked into a mall and seen 50-70% of the people with a gun in their holster, would they have acted so recklessly?  Would they have had the mentality 'well, they can't shoot us all?' or would they have realized 'they may not can shoot us all, but they might shoot me?'


It's hard to say, but even for teenagers caught up in a mob mentality, I think at least a good portion of them would have thought twice about what they were doing.  In fact, if there were open carry everywhere, I think the 'plan' may have never made it to fruition.


As parents we have to take the responsibility for teaching our children right from wrong and that 'rights' don't mean we can be bullies or take other's rights away.  If we teach them to love others, the anger and frustration that led to this may not happen.  If we  teach them to follow Jesus commands, they can see when they are not doing it.


But we also need to teach them to fight, but our main battle is in the spiritual realm.  If you doubt for one second that this mob was caused by the evil one, the father of lies, you are wrong.  He wants our children, if he can destroy them when they are young, he has a good chance of controlling them all their lives.  If he can kill them before they come to know Jesus, he has won that battle.  We need to be on our knees praying not just for our children but for ALL children that they will see the light of Jesus love.  That is the only hope for our future.