http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853 Recently I and my spouse were in Bakersfield, visiting family. We went shopping at Valley Plaza during our visit. WOW has it changed, large groups of youth, who seem to be in gangs and loud music etc. What was real interesting as we bought some T-shirts at JC Penny's, we were witnes to 3 youths attack the young man in front of us waiting for the cashier to ring his purchase up. One of the 3 youths even attempted to bash in the young mans head w/ stantions near the cashier. Didnt realize how much Bakersfield has changed. Recently I and my spouse were in Bakersfield, visiting family. We went shopping at Valley Plaza during our visit. WOW has it changed, large groups of youth, who seem to be in gangs and loud music etc. What was real interesting as we bought some T-shirts at JC Penny's, we were witnes to 3 youths attack the young man in front of us waiting for the cashier to ring his purchase up. One of the 3 youths even attempted to bash in the young mans head w/ stantions near the cashier. Didnt realize how much Bakersfield has changed. en-us <p><span style="color: #0000ff">People don't like to hear this ,but everything&nbsp;has it's consequences.&nbsp; In&nbsp;our society were we fail to teach our youth: right and&nbsp;wrong, self control, putting other people first and taking responsibility for our own lives.&nbsp; Is it any wonder that the world is going to hell in a hand basket?</span>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239907 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239907 <p><span style="color: #0000ff">People don't like to hear this ,but everything&nbsp;has it's consequences.&nbsp; In&nbsp;our society were we fail to teach our youth: right and&nbsp;wrong, self control, putting other people first and taking responsibility for our own lives.&nbsp; Is it any wonder that the world is going to hell in a hand basket?</span>&nbsp;</p> <p>Dcs on another page said that each of us have a &quot;built in morality.&quot;&nbsp; Do you agree?</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239909 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239909 <p>Dcs on another page said that each of us have a &quot;built in morality.&quot;&nbsp; Do you agree?</p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff">God gave everyone a conscience as well as freedom of choice.&nbsp; But&nbsp; we can abuse our freedom of choice and darken our conscience with sin so that we no longer hear it&nbsp;and become worse than the animals.&nbsp; If we do that we create a foretaste of hell in this life as warning of the hell we are creating for ourselves for eternity.&nbsp; Same if we seek&nbsp;to know God and build virtues instead of sin.&nbsp; We receive a foretaste&nbsp;of the Heavenly Kingdom&nbsp;in this life.&nbsp; As scripture says a &quot;peace beyond understanding.&quot;</span>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239913 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239913 <p><span style="color: #0000ff">God gave everyone a conscience as well as freedom of choice.&nbsp; But&nbsp; we can abuse our freedom of choice and darken our conscience with sin so that we no longer hear it&nbsp;and become worse than the animals.&nbsp; If we do that we create a foretaste of hell in this life as warning of the hell we are creating for ourselves for eternity.&nbsp; Same if we seek&nbsp;to know God and build virtues instead of sin.&nbsp; We receive a foretaste&nbsp;of the Heavenly Kingdom&nbsp;in this life.&nbsp; As scripture says a &quot;peace beyond understanding.&quot;</span>&nbsp;</p> <p>I ask because if that's true, then there is no need to teach right and wrong, is there?</p> <p>I would share some concern about teaching wrong as right and right as wrong, however.&nbsp; If something sounds unspeakably evil and despicable before one has been trained to accept it, maybe it really is evil and despicable.&nbsp; It takes some real special training to shut off one's moral conscience.</p> <p>Please give it some thought.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239916 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239916 <p>I ask because if that's true, then there is no need to teach right and wrong, is there?</p> <p>I would share some concern about teaching wrong as right and right as wrong, however.&nbsp; If something sounds unspeakably evil and despicable before one has been trained to accept it, maybe it really is evil and despicable.&nbsp; It takes some real special training to shut off one's moral conscience.</p> <p>Please give it some thought.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: larger">AppolloDawn&nbsp; --&nbsp; A child knows its wrong to steal cookies, and he knows its wrong to lie about it</span>&nbsp;<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: larger">- thats built in - but he'll do it anyway -&nbsp;because of our fallen nature.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: larger">&nbsp; That's why we have to &quot;teach&quot;(spank their little butts) them morality.&nbsp;</span></span></p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239926 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239926 <p><span style="font-size: larger">AppolloDawn&nbsp; --&nbsp; A child knows its wrong to steal cookies, and he knows its wrong to lie about it</span>&nbsp;<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: larger">- thats built in - but he'll do it anyway -&nbsp;because of our fallen nature.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: larger">&nbsp; That's why we have to &quot;teach&quot;(spank their little butts) them morality.&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p>We are all given a measure of Faith&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We don't start off life without help&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How we use that measure is the question</p> <p>There is a need to teach right and wrong Apollo&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; those that have a calling have a job and that is to teach right and wrong those that never hear the word are judged by their&nbsp;hearts those that are living by the law are judged by the law&nbsp; those that live by faith are judged by their faith&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239928 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239928 <p>We are all given a measure of Faith&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We don't start off life without help&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How we use that measure is the question</p> <p>There is a need to teach right and wrong Apollo&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; those that have a calling have a job and that is to teach right and wrong those that never hear the word are judged by their&nbsp;hearts those that are living by the law are judged by the law&nbsp; those that live by faith are judged by their faith&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff">Our Spirits and conscience are like muscles, they must be exercised and trained or they will wither away.&nbsp; Just&nbsp;as you can not coach yourself to be a NBA All Star no matter what talent God gave you.&nbsp; You can not raise yourself to the&nbsp;Heavenly Kingdom alone.&nbsp; Plus the devil is out there and in his hatred for God and &nbsp;mankind he is actively deluding people to follow the path to destruction.</span>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239934 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239934 <p><span style="color: #0000ff">Our Spirits and conscience are like muscles, they must be exercised and trained or they will wither away.&nbsp; Just&nbsp;as you can not coach yourself to be a NBA All Star no matter what talent God gave you.&nbsp; You can not raise yourself to the&nbsp;Heavenly Kingdom alone.&nbsp; Plus the devil is out there and in his hatred for God and &nbsp;mankind he is actively deluding people to follow the path to destruction.</span>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: xx-large"><span style="color: #808000"><b>PUNKS!</b></span></span></p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239963 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239963 <p><span style="font-size: xx-large"><span style="color: #808000"><b>PUNKS!</b></span></span></p> <p>SF- sorry that your return home was marred by that incident. Yes, Bakersfield has changed, and not for the better...I avoid TVP and East Hills mall like they're radioactive these days. I hate to say it, but it's become a teenage wasteland, nothing for an ADULT. The anchor stores hang on, but only because you can enter and exit without setting foot in the mall itself.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239967 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239967 <p>SF- sorry that your return home was marred by that incident. Yes, Bakersfield has changed, and not for the better...I avoid TVP and East Hills mall like they're radioactive these days. I hate to say it, but it's become a teenage wasteland, nothing for an ADULT. The anchor stores hang on, but only because you can enter and exit without setting foot in the mall itself.</p> <p>Strange! I've been in the Mall 4 or 5 times in the last month.  Everything was peaceful.  Saw at least two security guards on each visit.  No gangs or loud music.  There were a few young ones there but none of them caused any trouble.  All you have to do is not go on Friday or Saturday night if you don't like kids.</p> <br /> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239976 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239976 <p>Strange! I've been in the Mall 4 or 5 times in the last month.  Everything was peaceful.  Saw at least two security guards on each visit.  No gangs or loud music.  There were a few young ones there but none of them caused any trouble.  All you have to do is not go on Friday or Saturday night if you don't like kids.</p> <br /> <p>I guess I live a charmed life because I have never had ANY problems at Valley Plaza.  I once saw a young man surrounded by about 5 security guards and he was alone..no gang stuff.  Looked to me like security was on it....what ever IT was.  I hear these isolated stories from time to time but I honestly do <u>not</u> believe it's the norm here. </p> <p>I'd hate to think someone who moved away would judge a visit to the city by that one incident.  I understand talking about it but the sweeping statement was uncalled for.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239978 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239978 <p>I guess I live a charmed life because I have never had ANY problems at Valley Plaza.  I once saw a young man surrounded by about 5 security guards and he was alone..no gang stuff.  Looked to me like security was on it....what ever IT was.  I hear these isolated stories from time to time but I honestly do <u>not</u> believe it's the norm here. </p> <p>I'd hate to think someone who moved away would judge a visit to the city by that one incident.  I understand talking about it but the sweeping statement was uncalled for.</p> <p>There has been a series of articles on the net and in print over the lack of jobs for young people these days. A lot of well qualified older workers with shrinking prospects have been forced into what were once the domain of low skill youth jobs.</p> <p>This appeared on this site awhile back:</p> <p><b>"1. The teen employment rate last year was<br /> only 34.8 percent, the lowest annual<br /> average employment rate for teens ever<br /> recorded since the end of World War II.<br /> 2. Declines in teen employment rates over the<br /> past seven years (2000-2007) have been<br /> widespread across<br /> age, gender, raceethnic,<br /> educational<br /> attainment, household<br /> income and geographic<br /> subgroups.<br /> 3. Those teens from low<br /> income families who<br /> were Black or Hispanic<br /> fared the worst in the<br /> U.S. labor markets.<br /> 4. Only 19 percent of low<br /> income Black teens<br /> worked during 2007<br /> versus nearly one-half<br /> of their more affluent White counterparts<br /> living in families with incomes above<br /> $60,000.<br /> 5. Female teens in recent years were more<br /> likely to be working than males. Whites<br /> were considerably more likely to be working<br /> than Black teens and Hispanic teens.<br /> 6. Teens have also been facing more severe<br /> competition from other labor force groups in<br /> recent years, including older adult men and<br /> women (55+) who have increased their<br /> attachment to the labor market, single<br /> mothers with limited schooling who have<br /> faced time limits on welfare receipt, young<br /> adults (20-24) including college graduates<br /> who cannot find employment in their chosen<br /> fields of study, and less educated new<br /> immigrants, particularly young males, who<br /> have overwhelmingly dominated the ranks of<br /> the newly employed young since 2000.<br /> 7. Male high school dropouts and low income<br /> teens, especially Blacks and Hispanics,<br /> seemed to suffer the greatest job<br /> displacement fro illegal immigrants.<br /> 8. Their summer jobholding rates over the past<br /> four years have represented new historical<br /> lows for the post-World War II era, with<br /> males, minorities, and low income youth<br /> being increasingly shut out of the summer<br /> labor market.<br /> 9. More teens are attending high school and<br /> college today, but employment rates have<br /> fallen sharply among high<br /> school students and out-ofschool<br /> youth, including both<br /> high school graduates and<br /> dropouts.<br /> 10. Low income and<br /> minority dropouts face<br /> very bleak employment<br /> prospects, with less than<br /> one-third being<br /> employed in a given<br /> month in recent years.<br /> 11. The nation’s employers<br /> in recent years have<br /> expressed a high degree<br /> of dissatisfaction with the employability skills<br /> of new high school graduates.<br /> 12. Youth who participate in work-based<br /> learning activities during high school are<br /> more likely to see the relevance of school<br /> work to career success and acquire stronger<br /> employability skills. The more teens work<br /> this year, the more likely they are to work<br /> the following year.<br /> 13. The summer 2008 job outlook for teens<br /> looks particularly bleak. These findings<br /> suggest that the nation’s teen employment<br /> rate this summer is currently headed for a<br /> new historical low in the absence of any<br /> comprehensive set of new job creation<br /> strategies for youth.<br /> 14. The paper concludes with three national,<br /> state and local strategies that can be<br /> adopted to promote teen employment<br /> opportunities during the school year and<br /> summer.<br /> __________<br /> This paper was prepared by Dr. Andrew Sum and the<br /> Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern<br /> University, for the U.S. House of Representatives<br /> Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services and<br /> Education, in Washington, D.C., March 2008."</b></p> <p>People get angry and frustrated when there are no opportunities. No decent jobs coupled with no education does have its consequences. Hope you had an chance to check out all wonderful grafitti art the town has spawned as a testimonial to job creation efforts between the public and private sectors here over the last several years.  </p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239979 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239979 <p>There has been a series of articles on the net and in print over the lack of jobs for young people these days. A lot of well qualified older workers with shrinking prospects have been forced into what were once the domain of low skill youth jobs.</p> <p>This appeared on this site awhile back:</p> <p><b>"1. The teen employment rate last year was<br /> only 34.8 percent, the lowest annual<br /> average employment rate for teens ever<br /> recorded since the end of World War II.<br /> 2. Declines in teen employment rates over the<br /> past seven years (2000-2007) have been<br /> widespread across<br /> age, gender, raceethnic,<br /> educational<br /> attainment, household<br /> income and geographic<br /> subgroups.<br /> 3. Those teens from low<br /> income families who<br /> were Black or Hispanic<br /> fared the worst in the<br /> U.S. labor markets.<br /> 4. Only 19 percent of low<br /> income Black teens<br /> worked during 2007<br /> versus nearly one-half<br /> of their more affluent White counterparts<br /> living in families with incomes above<br /> $60,000.<br /> 5. Female teens in recent years were more<br /> likely to be working than males. Whites<br /> were considerably more likely to be working<br /> than Black teens and Hispanic teens.<br /> 6. Teens have also been facing more severe<br /> competition from other labor force groups in<br /> recent years, including older adult men and<br /> women (55+) who have increased their<br /> attachment to the labor market, single<br /> mothers with limited schooling who have<br /> faced time limits on welfare receipt, young<br /> adults (20-24) including college graduates<br /> who cannot find employment in their chosen<br /> fields of study, and less educated new<br /> immigrants, particularly young males, who<br /> have overwhelmingly dominated the ranks of<br /> the newly employed young since 2000.<br /> 7. Male high school dropouts and low income<br /> teens, especially Blacks and Hispanics,<br /> seemed to suffer the greatest job<br /> displacement fro illegal immigrants.<br /> 8. Their summer jobholding rates over the past<br /> four years have represented new historical<br /> lows for the post-World War II era, with<br /> males, minorities, and low income youth<br /> being increasingly shut out of the summer<br /> labor market.<br /> 9. More teens are attending high school and<br /> college today, but employment rates have<br /> fallen sharply among high<br /> school students and out-ofschool<br /> youth, including both<br /> high school graduates and<br /> dropouts.<br /> 10. Low income and<br /> minority dropouts face<br /> very bleak employment<br /> prospects, with less than<br /> one-third being<br /> employed in a given<br /> month in recent years.<br /> 11. The nation’s employers<br /> in recent years have<br /> expressed a high degree<br /> of dissatisfaction with the employability skills<br /> of new high school graduates.<br /> 12. Youth who participate in work-based<br /> learning activities during high school are<br /> more likely to see the relevance of school<br /> work to career success and acquire stronger<br /> employability skills. The more teens work<br /> this year, the more likely they are to work<br /> the following year.<br /> 13. The summer 2008 job outlook for teens<br /> looks particularly bleak. These findings<br /> suggest that the nation’s teen employment<br /> rate this summer is currently headed for a<br /> new historical low in the absence of any<br /> comprehensive set of new job creation<br /> strategies for youth.<br /> 14. The paper concludes with three national,<br /> state and local strategies that can be<br /> adopted to promote teen employment<br /> opportunities during the school year and<br /> summer.<br /> __________<br /> This paper was prepared by Dr. Andrew Sum and the<br /> Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern<br /> University, for the U.S. House of Representatives<br /> Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services and<br /> Education, in Washington, D.C., March 2008."</b></p> <p>People get angry and frustrated when there are no opportunities. No decent jobs coupled with no education does have its consequences. Hope you had an chance to check out all wonderful grafitti art the town has spawned as a testimonial to job creation efforts between the public and private sectors here over the last several years.  </p> <p>Nancy, Roy -</p> <p>Sorry for the sweeping statement, but it's not so much INSIDE the Mall itself, it's the trip&nbsp;into it. I guess I need to head over there during school hours, when hopefully, it would be empty of loud, foul-mouthed teens. Also the loud rap/hip-hop coming from the cars cruising the parking lot.&nbsp; Why do I have to listen to that?</p> <p>When I was a kid&nbsp;I lived within walking distance of TVP, and spent a lot of time and money there. In recent years, the clientele has become younger and hostile. The last time I went in (it WAS a Saturday) I had to stop and allow several teens walking 4-5 abreast to pass or get cussed at. That was enough for me, I haven't been back.</p> <p>Sorry, maybe I was there at the wrong time, but all I want to do is go in, shop, and leave...</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239987 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239987 <p>Nancy, Roy -</p> <p>Sorry for the sweeping statement, but it's not so much INSIDE the Mall itself, it's the trip&nbsp;into it. I guess I need to head over there during school hours, when hopefully, it would be empty of loud, foul-mouthed teens. Also the loud rap/hip-hop coming from the cars cruising the parking lot.&nbsp; Why do I have to listen to that?</p> <p>When I was a kid&nbsp;I lived within walking distance of TVP, and spent a lot of time and money there. In recent years, the clientele has become younger and hostile. The last time I went in (it WAS a Saturday) I had to stop and allow several teens walking 4-5 abreast to pass or get cussed at. That was enough for me, I haven't been back.</p> <p>Sorry, maybe I was there at the wrong time, but all I want to do is go in, shop, and leave...</p> <p>When I was a teen (14) I was too young to work.&nbsp; Mom helped me and i fixed four milk bottles with an ammonia and water mix. I &nbsp; put them in my old red wagon with a bunch of old towels and other good rags and a small kitchen ladder. I covered the neighborhood washing windows for money.&nbsp; I made out like a bandit and done it all summer.&nbsp; There are a whole lot of people out there who hate to wash windows and will gladly pay to have it done. Kids have no imagination today.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239990 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239990 <p>When I was a teen (14) I was too young to work.&nbsp; Mom helped me and i fixed four milk bottles with an ammonia and water mix. I &nbsp; put them in my old red wagon with a bunch of old towels and other good rags and a small kitchen ladder. I covered the neighborhood washing windows for money.&nbsp; I made out like a bandit and done it all summer.&nbsp; There are a whole lot of people out there who hate to wash windows and will gladly pay to have it done. Kids have no imagination today.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I did nearly the same thing, canvased my neighborhood looking to wash cars, empty trash, mow yards. Whatever I could to earn a few bucks.</p> <p>Roy, that cat is hypnotic! I just found myself bopping along with it!</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239991 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239991 <p>I did nearly the same thing, canvased my neighborhood looking to wash cars, empty trash, mow yards. Whatever I could to earn a few bucks.</p> <p>Roy, that cat is hypnotic! I just found myself bopping along with it!</p> <p>Whooohoooo..put me on the list of gladly paying some kid to wash my outside windows.&nbsp; Good luck on that these days though.&nbsp; Pulling weeds, doing spring yard cleanup, yeah..like there ae NO summer jobs to be had.&nbsp; I have 3 humongous shrubs that need trimming..any takers?</p> <p>Now that we're through being silly...the risk of injury to a minor (or even adult) and the liability probably would keep most people from hiring teens.&nbsp; In our litagation mad society, it really is a risk.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239995 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_239995 <p>Whooohoooo..put me on the list of gladly paying some kid to wash my outside windows.&nbsp; Good luck on that these days though.&nbsp; Pulling weeds, doing spring yard cleanup, yeah..like there ae NO summer jobs to be had.&nbsp; I have 3 humongous shrubs that need trimming..any takers?</p> <p>Now that we're through being silly...the risk of injury to a minor (or even adult) and the liability probably would keep most people from hiring teens.&nbsp; In our litagation mad society, it really is a risk.</p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Sorry SF that you had to witness such. Bakersfield has indeed changed~ in some areas not at all for the better. TVP has never really interested me as a shopping destination,after my early teens, and there are plenty of other places to shop.&nbsp;</span></p> <br /> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240040 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240040 <p><span style="font-size: small;">Sorry SF that you had to witness such. Bakersfield has indeed changed~ in some areas not at all for the better. TVP has never really interested me as a shopping destination,after my early teens, and there are plenty of other places to shop.&nbsp;</span></p> <br /> <p><i><b>&nbsp;we were witnes to 3 youths attack the young man in front of us waiting for the cashier to ring his purchase up. One of the 3 youths even attempted to bash in the young mans head w/ stantions near the cashier. ~sfinbaston</b></i></p> <p>....And what did you or your husband do during all this?</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240045 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240045 <p><i><b>&nbsp;we were witnes to 3 youths attack the young man in front of us waiting for the cashier to ring his purchase up. One of the 3 youths even attempted to bash in the young mans head w/ stantions near the cashier. ~sfinbaston</b></i></p> <p>....And what did you or your husband do during all this?</p> <p>RoyT</p> <p>You made your own luck.&nbsp;&nbsp; I've always felt that a person&nbsp;(born with the&nbsp;&quot;right stuff&quot;) will create&nbsp;their own opportunities.&nbsp;</p> <p>Why do some &nbsp;people manage to use their childhood poverty as a catalyst&nbsp;for seeking a better&nbsp;life&nbsp;while others (born into priviledge) manage to screw up every advantage they were born with?</p> <p>It has more to do with what's inside a person than what's on their outsides.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240057 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240057 <p>RoyT</p> <p>You made your own luck.&nbsp;&nbsp; I've always felt that a person&nbsp;(born with the&nbsp;&quot;right stuff&quot;) will create&nbsp;their own opportunities.&nbsp;</p> <p>Why do some &nbsp;people manage to use their childhood poverty as a catalyst&nbsp;for seeking a better&nbsp;life&nbsp;while others (born into priviledge) manage to screw up every advantage they were born with?</p> <p>It has more to do with what's inside a person than what's on their outsides.</p> <p>Thanks Audrey. A lot of it is in how a child is raised.  We were always taught to be self sufficient, earn what we got and to always do a good job.  My father was fond of saying "There are no BAD jobs, only good and better".  I still believe that.</p> <br /> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240102 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240102 <p>Thanks Audrey. A lot of it is in how a child is raised.  We were always taught to be self sufficient, earn what we got and to always do a good job.  My father was fond of saying "There are no BAD jobs, only good and better".  I still believe that.</p> <br /> <p><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">The Valley Plaza is to blame for that loud music....it is flat out ridiculous. Abercrombie's music is too loud. I won't even go in there anymore; I send my daughter in alone. They need to make those stores turn down their freakin music. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large"><u><span style="color: #ff0000"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">Parents Please Listen </span></span></u></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">Keep your hoodlum kids at home if they don't have any money. A mall is for shopping. A mall is not a hang out. It is for people that have money. A mall is not a place to pick fights and hunt chicks. I see 12 year old girls dressed like hoochies, with a face full of make up. Parents need to step it up a notch.&nbsp; If your kid does not have money....your kid is probably going to steal...then the cycle begins.....juvenile hall, jail, gangs, welfare, prison.&nbsp;&nbsp;If your kid needs to&nbsp;go to the mall make sure you are with them. The mall is not a babysitter. Keep your children at home please! </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240206 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240206 <p><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">The Valley Plaza is to blame for that loud music....it is flat out ridiculous. Abercrombie's music is too loud. I won't even go in there anymore; I send my daughter in alone. They need to make those stores turn down their freakin music. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large"><u><span style="color: #ff0000"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">Parents Please Listen </span></span></u></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">Keep your hoodlum kids at home if they don't have any money. A mall is for shopping. A mall is not a hang out. It is for people that have money. A mall is not a place to pick fights and hunt chicks. I see 12 year old girls dressed like hoochies, with a face full of make up. Parents need to step it up a notch.&nbsp; If your kid does not have money....your kid is probably going to steal...then the cycle begins.....juvenile hall, jail, gangs, welfare, prison.&nbsp;&nbsp;If your kid needs to&nbsp;go to the mall make sure you are with them. The mall is not a babysitter. Keep your children at home please! </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The last time I was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mall Security was checking I.D. and not allowing kids under 18 into the Mall without an adult after 4:30 in the afternoon.</p> <p>There were PLENTY of shoppers spending money AND it was very peaceful.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240266 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_240266 <p>The last time I was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mall Security was checking I.D. and not allowing kids under 18 into the Mall without an adult after 4:30 in the afternoon.</p> <p>There were PLENTY of shoppers spending money AND it was very peaceful.</p> <p>The mall has always had problems with teens. I can remember back to when I was&nbsp;about 16 (that would be 17 years ago)&nbsp;seeing a girl I knew from school being attacked by two other females. That fight occurred in front of what is now Old Navy. I remember fights at the bus stop, and teens stealing stuff. We rarely had money when we hung out there, but it was the common place to go after school or on Saturdays.</p> <p>I personally did not steal or fight, for someone reason I have always had pretty good morals. I say &quot;some reason&quot; because I pretty much raised myself, and the majority of&nbsp;my friends definitely did not share the same morals. It seems that morals have to be taught, but for me it is almost as if I was just born with them. I have to agree with Wayfarer on this one, conscience is a gift from God. However, some get more of that gift than others. Parents need to start being parents and instill good morals in their kids, since obviously all of them were not given a good, strong,&nbsp;conscience.</p> <p>Audrey, I completely understand your question &quot;Why do some &nbsp;people manage to use their childhood poverty as a catalyst&nbsp;for seeking a better&nbsp;life&nbsp;while others (born into priviledge) manage to screw up every advantage they were born with?&quot; I have friends who came from great homes who have done nothing with their lives. I came from a&nbsp;MUCH less than nurturing environment, and that is what has motivated me to make something of my life, to be more than what everyone speculated I would, or could,&nbsp;be. Sometimes people are just born with more drive than others, I do not believe that how a person ends up is 100% based on their upbringing, nature plays a big part in it as well.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_243588 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sfinboston52/26853/#c_243588 <p>The mall has always had problems with teens. I can remember back to when I was&nbsp;about 16 (that would be 17 years ago)&nbsp;seeing a girl I knew from school being attacked by two other females. That fight occurred in front of what is now Old Navy. I remember fights at the bus stop, and teens stealing stuff. We rarely had money when we hung out there, but it was the common place to go after school or on Saturdays.</p> <p>I personally did not steal or fight, for someone reason I have always had pretty good morals. I say &quot;some reason&quot; because I pretty much raised myself, and the majority of&nbsp;my friends definitely did not share the same morals. It seems that morals have to be taught, but for me it is almost as if I was just born with them. I have to agree with Wayfarer on this one, conscience is a gift from God. However, some get more of that gift than others. Parents need to start being parents and instill good morals in their kids, since obviously all of them were not given a good, strong,&nbsp;conscience.</p> <p>Audrey, I completely understand your question &quot;Why do some &nbsp;people manage to use their childhood poverty as a catalyst&nbsp;for seeking a better&nbsp;life&nbsp;while others (born into priviledge) manage to screw up every advantage they were born with?&quot; I have friends who came from great homes who have done nothing with their lives. I came from a&nbsp;MUCH less than nurturing environment, and that is what has motivated me to make something of my life, to be more than what everyone speculated I would, or could,&nbsp;be. Sometimes people are just born with more drive than others, I do not believe that how a person ends up is 100% based on their upbringing, nature plays a big part in it as well.</p>