CONSIDERING A CHILD’S HAPPINESS OVER DISCIPLINE IS FOOLHARDY

CONSIDERING A CHILD’S HAPPINESS OVER DISCIPLINE IS FOOLHARDY

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

In the past most children were highly disciplined or they faced significant negative reactions from their loved ones. The interdependent environment of training any child to be disciplined pays great dividends for a free market economy. A free market requires energetic, hard working people to do the little things correctly to climb the economic ladder.

Today in a modern family everybody is usually “doing his own thing”. The family is no longer a cohesive unit that is interdependent. Rather it is a group of people who unproductively use electronic devices to entertain themselves. At an early stage of life, from preschool to pre adolescence the youngsters often appear to be content to be online. The satisfaction of playing solitary games is replaced with interpersonal more interactive contact with peers.  As the children age choices for pleasure on the Internet are more feasible and numerous. Without the crucial development of inner discipline, the probability of being sucked into destructive, deviant and drug addictive games and other negative activities greatly increases.

There has always been negative behavior available for the young to explore and participate in. This rapidly changing world for young people has less familial, neighborhood supervision and safeguards than ever before. The temptation of easy access to evil practices has exploded. Our current generation is the worst trained in being aware of the consequence of being led astray by dishonorable people and addictive activities.  

Today’s children are being chauffeured from one activity to another where they are supervised by an instructor or coach and rarely leave their sacred phones. The electronic friendships they have developed are usually beyond their parent’s awareness. The relationships they are experiencing are frequently secretive and on the dark side. This leaves the youngster without guidance often in a world their parents do not know exists.

Parents are being advised to overlook reality and moral values. The child is supposed to make his own choices without being burdened by his parent’s fears. Our pseudo scientific childrearing experts have indoctrinated parents to encourage their children’s illusionary world of naïve happiness with unrealistic inflated self-concepts.  A happy state of false bliss has become the ultimate goal of many modern parents.

The child may exhibit weird, inappropriate, self-stimulating, aggressive, antisocial or withdrawing behavior. Some parents are committed to allow the child to make his own choices without influencing him to adjust his behavior and thinking. Some parents are even advocating for gender change reassignment surgery as young as preschool age as they feel it would make the child happier.

In our sophisticated market economy a person who is invested in the desire for instant gratification, and feelings of euphoria will have a difficult time being successful. A disciplined person with social skills, time management and the ability to follow directions will have a much easier time to be a prosperous and happy person.

The objective of happiness is a dangerous concept to follow in our culture. It gives a child license to do whatever he wants at any particular moment. When he gets into a conflict with an authority figure that is trying to help the child be more appropriate, the parent will attack the messenger instead of supporting the efforts to help the child. The reason the parent rushes in to protect him is the child acts bizarre when he is criticized. This concept encourages a child to experiment with potentially self-destructive activities without having to worry about gaining parental permission. This approach is placing him in opposition to a host of authority figures whose positions demand them to train, teach and discipline youngsters to act in a civil and mature manner.

An undisciplined child’s behavior is often disruptive: not listening, not following directions, lying, destroying valuables or other unacceptable behaviors in any group activity. Besides upsetting group cohesiveness and order it prevents the authority figure from achieving his objectives. This makes the entire group lose out on learning and a sense of accomplishment. 

The goal of wanting to enhance a child’s happiness by permitting him to do whatever he wants at any moment is foolhardy. Besides children have limited knowledge and wisdom while the parents have a moral responsibility to teach the child how to survive and behave appropriately in society.

Modern parents have to realize that the child has to eventually fit into society no matter how great the parent’s desire for the child’s momentary happiness. A child will be judged on his actions regardless of his parent’s wishes to have him evaluated on a happiness scale. Bosses do not pay workers to feel happy; rather their salaries are governed by their productivity.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglio’s articles at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

CELEBRATING IN SPORTS AND POLITICAL EXPRESSION SHOULD NOT BE DESTRUCTIVE

CELEBRATING IN SPORTS AND POLITICAL EXPRESSION SHOULD NOT BE DESTRUCTIVE

By Domenick J. Maglio Phd. Traditional Realist

Sports fans have accepted violence: shooting, turning over cars, smashing windows and lampposts, tearing down signs, looting businesses and starting fires as acceptable behaviors after winning a championship in sports. It could be on the professional, college or even high school or lower levels of travel team.  Celebrating has become synonymous with an uninhibited orgy of destroying other people’s property, which is against the law but is accepted when it comes to sporting events.

The US professional sports of hockey, baseball, soccer, and football recently have had celebration melees that have resulted not only in drunken property destruction of immense proportions but shootings as well. “Celebrations” on college campuses have college security personnel turning a blind eye to protect privileged college students from county and city law enforcement. They understand arresting these youthful rioters for violating property laws would give them an arrest record that would follow them through their adult life.  College security personnel on smaller campuses usually know the students on some level while larger universities understand the negative publicity will have an impact on their institution. In either case the campus police will rarely take legal action.

When protest riots occur, the local police do not enforce the law but are allowing the area of damage to expand. This has become the new normal. The police are mostly observers with few riot participants getting arrested. In April of 2015 Baltimore mayor, Stephanie Rawlings Blake, allowed protestors to express themselves under the guise of freedom of speech. She went as far as stating to her police force, “give those who wish to destroy, space.” This pronouncement gave them a green light.

This lawlessness has existed in foreign nations for many years. Soccer hooligans have been a problem worldwide. In Canada on June 17^th 2019 Toronto Raptors basketball team won the NBA championship. An estimated 1.5 million people were at the celebration and four people were shot.

Riots become a “party of destruction.” People from all different backgrounds attempt to top each other in property destruction. It is an intense negative high of doing what you know is against the law without the fear of punishment. It is permission to be lawless. The loss through these riots has to be paid through our taxes or increased college tuition. The ultimate cost is lowering our standard of civilized behavior to a pathetic level encouraging and legitimizing deviant behavior. The real and only victims are the law-abiding citizens not the law-breakers.

This ridiculous government policy of hands-off inflames rather than quells the worst instincts of groups. Clusters of people or crowds who are allowed to be out-of-control lose their personal inhibitions joining the mob mentality. When you include the presence of drugs, alcohol or impressing one’s friends, it becomes almost irresistible.

Law abiding citizens have to take a stand and say enough is enough. Celebrations and political protests should not be opportunities to wreak havoc. Rioting in urban areas, college campuses or any other place does not give anyone the right, no matter their rationalization, for robbing people of their valuable property.

Celebrations, making a political statement, or getting in touch with one’s animal instincts cannot be legitimate excuses for not being punished for violating peaceful people’s rights and property. Enforcing the law is essential to not go down the path of anarchy. Our society has to make clear that there will no longer be tolerance nor justification for destroying anyone’s property and peace. Our society should encourage law enforcement to do their function of keeping law and order. Rioting is not a “victimless crime.” It adversely affects all property owners and the community.

Rioting for any grievance, celebrating a sports victory, or turning a blind eye to supposedly further social justice causes are reinforcing criminal behavior. Not only does it condone criminal actions but it acts as a recruiting tool to increase new actors to join the ranks of law breakers. “Monkey see, monkey do” is as relevant today as it has been over the ages.

Making protests an “event” of reckless and illegal behavior has been multiplied by politician’s asinine decisions to allow and rationalize criminal behaviors to gain political favors. It is rational and effective to grant policemen the powers and backing to do their job. Police “standing down” during riots for any reason is condoning that which should be prevented or stopped in order to have a stable nation of law and order. This and only this will begin to reverse lawlessness in our country.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglio’s articles at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

DEVELOPING A FAMILY TAKES TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE TO DO IT RIGHT

DEVELOPING A FAMILY TAKES TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE TO DO IT RIGHT

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

Many millenials are not only attracted to socialist ideas but also realize that raising a family takes more personal sacrifice than they are willing to consider. There is little immediate gratification to a long-term relationship. It is much more appealing to young adults to “hook up”, live together with no commitment, have serial marriages or just remain a self serving, perennial adolescent.

When men can get all the “milk without buying the cow” and women can have random, carefree sex without worrying about having a “burden” of an unwanted pregnancy, marriage loses its appeal. This weakening of long-term commitment and a satisfying marriage has been going on for generations. Short-term romantic, emotional feelings are more seductive than rationally solving pragmatic issues for a successful long-term marriage.

In the past family life in a free market economy was attractive to parents and their children.  They worked together to build a future through their industriousness and dedication. The energy of the family was employed doing mundane things like maintaining the home, cooking, cleaning, babysitting, shopping and other necessary chores. Furthermore there were home improvement projects that added value to the property such as building additional living spaces, sheds, play areas, beautification and upgrading of the home to improve its capabilities and efficiency.

A spouse and children is a tremendous asset to the long- range emotional and material future of the family. Strong role models trained the children in thinking skills, moral values and competition. The family provided physical security, pragmatic and inspirational knowledge of what works in the real world throughout all the developmental stages of its members. The elders passed on their wisdom to the family and community to guide them through difficult periods in life.

Presently in the urban, progressive culture children are considered to be a sacrifice costing at least $250,000 to raise and have many other potential financial liabilities. Marriage itself is considered an antiquated institution that stifles an ever-changing person’s ability to become self-actualized. According to the intellectuals, a person should molt his old relationships into a new and better one. This message is subliminal in advertising and in your face from Hollywood stars that spout their disdain of the traditional family.

The significance of benefits to the family is not realized in the early years. These years are an investment in the husband and wife’s relationship and in loving and training their children. There is some gradual gratification when the parents witness the growth of their relationship and their children’s development. Most of the time the parents are completing the necessary checklist to stay afloat and strive to better their family economically.  The pace of time quicken as the years rush by until the nest begins to empty itself.

When the children turn into young adults, the value of delayed gratification becomes apparent. Once offspring begin to make their mark in their chosen careers, marriage and begin their own families the parents see the fruits of their sacrifice. Finally, if they are fortunate enough to become grandparents, they can feast on the undeniable impact they had on their extended family.

This gratification is a long time coming and that makes it all the sweeter. The parents provided the foundation of another generation for the family to build the next chapter in the family’s history.  The extended family weaves itself into the community fabric making it easier for all members to reap opportunities.

At this point, the satisfaction becomes fast and evident. The family holidays are filled with joy and happiness. The grandchildren’s love towards each other and all the other family members brings everyone closer together. The personal pleasures are spiritual and inspirational and worth more than all the money in the world.

The progressive, urban side of this equation is just the opposite. The self- centered adult lifestyle, which was based on immediate gratification, eventually ends and reality appears. There are no immediate family members to visit on special occasions. The person’s outward physical appearance grows old even with all the cosmetic surgeries.  The most devastating thing is there is no one to share and continue the family line.

The future is for each of us to define for our own lives.  The choice is between “live for today and do not worry about tomorrow” or “plan for tomorrow by making hard sacrificial decisions to better the prospects of the family’s future.” Delaying gratification to maximize one’s personal growth is a clear sign of wisdom.

There is no better institution than the traditional family. It establishes a foundation for the development of a person’s character, productivity, caring for loved ones and commitment to the community.  

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglio’s articles at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

“MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” SHOULD BE INSPIRATIONAL NOT AN ANTAGONISTIC MESSAGE

“MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” SHOULD BE INSPIRATIONAL NOT AN ANTAGONISTIC MESSAGE

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

The former Secretary of the Justice Department under President Obama, Eric Holder, has stated that “America was never great.” He noted there was and is prejudice against blacks and other minorities. President Obama himself went on an apology tour telling world leaders that the United States has been on the wrong side of history. This negativity about our country has become a political strategy for the progressives.

The modern progressives describe our past as one that has exploited its own people and foreign powers. According to this narrative U.S. capitalism is structurally racist and externally the oppressor of other nations. They unequivocally want America to be transformed into a socialist/communist government ruled by a righteous oligarchy. According to them the Constitution and the Bill of Rights need to be eliminated and replaced by an all-controlling state.

Progressives have already developed their own storm troopers through university indoctrinating of students and graduates as social justice warriors. They use their professional political positions as change agents. Initially community activists in minority communities preached anti-American rhetoric to create consciousness of some legitimate and many illegitimate injustices. Many of these reported injustices turned out to be false or absent of the context.

Progressive government officials, educators and the majority of the media have led the charge to stamp the Trump administration as corrupt and racist.  President Trump’s immigration policy has been framed as a racist one although borders are essential to define any and all nations.  He did what the past two presidents, Bush and Obama did, but was labeled as a “hateful racist.”

The Mueller Report was supposed to find an “impeachable offense.” This soft coup did not succeed. Yet the drumbeat of the slogan “Make America Great Again” stands for a “dog whistle” for many progressives for racist hatred and inequality. Law abiding citizens wearing a MAGA hat have been attacked verbally and physically. This is a violation of people’s First Amendment rights and usually goes unpunished as a crime. The shutting down of open debate on many social and economic issues that determine our future is frightening.

America is not a perfect nation and will never be. Although on the domestic front many things have changed for the better. Our wages have increased, more blacks, Hispanics, and women are employed then ever before. Many minorities are being assimilated into our political and cultural system while illegals are flooding our welfare state and imperiling our sovereignty.

In the international arena the US has been a give away program for buying allegiance. We have led from behind, which was a disaster.  We have lost our competitive edge by outsourcing our factories to foreign nations. Many corporations cashed in by moving their production and technology to other nations. We have wasted much of our treasure on nation building and military ventures that have delivered few dividends for the USA.

“Make America Great Again” as a strong, free and just nation is a positive rallying cry not only for the U.S. but also for the entire world. The USA has been liberated from governmental regulations and pay-to-play economic corruption. From the beginning of the Trump administration our economy has taken off and has again become the strongest economy in the free world. It shows the world, capitalism is an efficient and productive economy as compared to any socialist one.

On the international stage the US is no longer looking back and apologizing for the past, rather it is in front leading. We are rebuilding our military, economy and energy resources.  Other traditional rivals of the US have become more cautious in their interactions with us. Our international status and perceived power has substantially risen.

America has had its ups and downs, the same as any civilization. Our American Revolution for Independence inspired the world to realize that a Constitutional Republic can create a government by the people and for all the people instead of benefiting only a small clique of elites, ironically, like all totalitarian leaning elites, in the name of the people.

Making America Great Again is not a slogan that should alienate others. Our nation has given other nations more than anyone else. Our generosity is known worldwide. We have sacrificed our men and wealth for the freedom of others. The USA’s exceptionality is evident to all who value freedom and opportunity.

Making America Great Again once more will be a beacon of freedom for the world to emulate.  

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglio’s articles at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.