Could the lack of discipline be the problem?

[placidfemme]

I've only been in NZ for about 6 years now, and I've noticed a lot of things that happen here that never happened back home...

There has been a lot of discussion of late about kids throwing shit off bridges at cars... kids commiting suicide... crime... drugs... and the like...

I think the biggest problem in New Zealand, is that people are way too PC. People are into "human rights" way too much.

Why should someone who kills someone else have any rights? Did they give the victim the right to choose to live or die? Or the little child the right to choose to be raped or not?

Why in New Zealand does a "Life" sentance mean 10 years? If life is only 10 years long then I'm half way through my 3rd life...

I've worked for a suicide prevention charity in the past, and the figure of NZ teens trying to take thier own lives is disgusting, and even worse are the ones who actually succeed

IMO the reason why kids/teens in NZ have no respect for themselves (using drugs... etc) is because they are given everything too soon, they don't earn or deserve most things they recieve in life. They are allowed to do as they please, when they please and for whatever reason they please...

If kids/teens are taught self respect and respect for others at a young age, they certainly wouldn't turn out the way they are these days.

I blame the parents, the schools and the government.

NZQA is a load of crap. Lets see... your kids as thick as two bricks glued together, so we'll just assess them on how hard they tried... poof... you passed. WTF?

If you sent any selection of NZ kids, for a whole term to a school in Africa... they would come back a totally different person, they would have respect for themselves, thier teachers, thier parents and everyone else.

They need to learn responsibility, they need to be punished and they need to learn that they have to earn other peoples respect.

Back home I never knew of one teenager who ever took or even attempted to take thier own life... I didn't know any kids who took drugs, or commited crimes, or put other peoples lives at risk for "fun", no teen pregnancys.

You fail your end of year exams... you stay back a year, everyone calls you a retard, and you pass the next year out of pure determination...

Boys have to wear thier hear a certain lengh, girls if thier hair is long, has to be tied up at school, no lipstick, no slut clothes, no make up and J-Lo slut earings, no mini skirts at 13. What does that result in? Kids finishing school, not dropping out because some guy knocked her up behind the bike shed.

Look at your public bus system... a pregnant chick gets on the bus and not one person stands up for her, back home every male on the bus would stand up and offer her a seat... its called manners, something NZ kids lack.

I believe in tough sentancing for crimes, I believe in discipline at home and at school. Do you really think suspending kids makes a difference?

School: "You broke a window (or whatever) so we're suspending you for a week"

Student: "sweet" (proceeds to go home, and cause shit for a week while they are not at school)

Do you know what suspension means back home? It means the kid goes to school for the whole suspension period, they sit in a room by them self and are given work to do, so pretty much it's a week long detention, and it sucks, and its boring... so you behave so you don't have to go through it again...

I know a lot of you will say "well if its that great then piss off back to where you came from". But i love NZ, NZ just needs to change its attitude and discipline its kids, teach them respect for others and for themselves... otherwise this circle of crime and wasted youth will never end...

Rant over

[The_Dover]

Are you from China?

[emaN]

I was working in a school in London before I came home last year - I can assure you things are not as you remember them. Had mates working in east end, some of the stories were incredible.

My wife was a social worker over there; let me assure you, there's a big mess over there too! Infact, she noticed that whatever it is that kiwi kids do here, UK kids are doing it younger & harder.

I do agree with just about everything else you've said - kids with no boundaries end up as adults without skills to contribute positively towards society.

Manners, respect....don't get me started.

Good on ya Placid for making a public statement.

[Finn]

It's not a rant and you're just touching the surface. My lady has been here for just over 2 years and she wants to right a book.

NZ is a social experiment gone horribly wrong. You just can't take the place seriously. Just try to have some fun and don't pay tax if you can. It helps.

[emaN]

Are you from China?

true. i assumed you were talking about the UK.... but you mention Africa...
where was 'home' then?

[PuppetMaster]

I know a lot of you will say "well if its that great then piss off back to where you came from".

Not me. I totally agree. placidfemme for Prime Minister.

The problem is that there are 4 people in NZ that dont agree with you, so we apparently have to take into account how they feel, regardless of the majority wanting the opposite. One day we might get a government with balls (literally) and they may quash these feeble minded green hippy fuckers, preferably with a pair of pliers and a blow torch.
On the other hand, you all voted for Helen Clark, so this must be how you wanted things.

[Str8 Jacket]

Understand where your coming from... I work for the courts reviewing and actioning enforcements and actions on our worst fines defaulters in NZ. I specifically work on the Top 45 Offenders in NZ you'd be amazed at how many under 21 year olds owe $65 000 plus for a raft of offences from Fraudulent acts, assault, theft, wilful damage to plain old traffic fines. What really annoys me is that some of these "kids" will most likely be given 300 hours or so community work for their $65 000+ owing or in some cases where its reparation they will be sentenced to a few years prison. Where does personal responsibility come into it? Nowhere, why? Cause most of these "kids" parents are in exactly the same boat.... Dont even get me started on the suicide issue I have lost way too many mates that way.

[The_Dover]

I blame Canada, or America, whichever one it is, I forget.

But truth is that we are becoming a bunch of spineless PC dolebludgers, any country with a socialist government falls under my sweeping generalisation.

I think kids these days need a damned good beating to learn them some respect.

It never did me no harm.

[SimJen]

Nice rant
It has to start with the parents, so many of whom don't give a shit about what their kids are smoking, taking, shagging etc.
NZQA is definately shit we all know it.....whats the government doing? NOTHING! suprise surprise. Dumming down society is the general rule for Labour governments.....breeding idiots is what they actually do.
I am an immigrant too in a way, born here then went to UK for 12 years then came back and finished school. Its definately easier at school here. Took me 4 years before I was doing similar work here to what I was in Britain.
As for drivers licensing etc, why is it so easy? a scratchy and your driving. No wonder bikers are getting squashed so much.
As for the government and the fact we voted them in.....actually we didn't.
Less than half the country wanted labour.....so how come we've got em?? MMP bullshit thats why.
My theory is we should have a Referendum for every major decision the government wants to make. At least that way it ends up a fair representation of societies wants. Say a vote every six months for a whole list of things. I think people would be interested to see what people actually want, and not what the government thinks we want.
Afterall a democracy is supposed to be based on what the majority wants isn't it?

[placidfemme]

I was working in a school in London before I came home last year - I can assure you things are not as you remember them. Had mates working in east end, some of the stories were incredible.

My wife was a social worker over there; let me assure you, there's a big mess over there too! Infact, she noticed that whatever it is that kiwi kids do here, UK kids are doing it younger & harder.

I do agree with just about everything else you've said - kids with no boundaries end up as adults without skills to contribute positively towards society.

Manners, respect....don't get me started.

Good on ya Placid for making a public statement.

I';m not from the UK... or China

[Matt Bleck]

bring back capital punishment....

[placidfemme]

true. i assumed you were talking about the UK.... but you mention Africa...
where was 'home' then?

Zimbabwe... or Rhodesia... depends on how old you are lol

[SimJen]

I was working in a school in London before I came home last year - I can assure you things are not as you remember them. Had mates working in east end, some of the stories were incredible.

London is hardly indicative of all of Britain though......the same way Manukau is not indicative of all of NZ.

Zimbabwe... or Rhodesia... depends on how old you are lol

I had a mate at school who wouldn't ever call it Zimbabwe......some kids tried calling him a Cafar (sp) once (he was white though and big), they got the beats

[placidfemme]

I had a mate at school who wouldn't ever call it Zimbabwe......some kids tried calling him a Cafar (sp) once (he was white though and big), they got the beats

Kaffir <-- Correct spelling

A lot of people won't call it Zimbabwe, however, times change and the country's changed (unfortunatley for the worst). Theres a group of people in NZ that still hold regular "Rhodesian" BBQ's and the like... some of them are younger then 26 (therefor born in Zimbabwe, not Rhodesia) and still call it Rhodesia, and they wonder why the racisim got so bad

[MSTRS:Me]

You been that fly-on-the-wall at ours, PF?? The thing that really gets to me is that for every right there is a responsibility to balance it - but not taught, is it?