Entitlement, Control and Consequences: Sword attack an indictment of our society

With leaders like Mugabe (and the ongoing circus act featuring Mbeki as the clown), it's hard to imagine children have any idea that such a thing as 'consequence' exists. Meanwhile, I don't see adults faring any better. Think of the drunk judge, Najwa Peterson, think about this insistence that we should get Olympic medals. What about hard work? And integrity? And sacrifice? And paying one's dues?

I will be writing an article in my weekly column It's (not so) cool by the pool which will focus specifically on Entitlement, Control and Consequences. Watch this space on Wednesday.

clipped from www.thetimes.co.za “Wat nou, Meneer? (What now, Sir?)” These chilling words, reportedly uttered by a matric pupil at the Nic Diederichs Technical High School in Krugersdorp to the principal after he swung a samurai sword through a fellow student, killing him — are an indictment of a society that does not fear the consequences of its actions. “Those words that he uttered show that he doesn’t fear consequences because he doesn’t see these consequences in society. The man in the street doesn’t feel retribution because people get away with crime. “Children are subjected to a lot of pro-violence messages displayed by leaders [who are] icons of how to deal with conflict situations. It’s a monkey-see, monkey-do situation. “When one looks at a child that commits such a crime, one will find that the child has a lot of anger. Children do not know how to resolve conflicts and, instead of being taught how to resolve disagreements, they resort to violence.”