[geeks] Breeding

[Chris Byrne]

Ok,

two things. First for anyone who thinks that as a whole parenting in America
has gone to shit (along with personal responsibility, morals, ethics etc...)
there's a great book you should read, Harry Stein, "How I accidentally
joined the vast right wing conspiracy, and saved my soul in the process".

Second, at the risk of seriously irritating Bill again with my long winded
self exposition here's my take on the parenting of the '70s '80s and '90s

Flat out my mother had no idea how to be a parent. She was married at 19,
had me at 20, and my brother at 22 then promptly got divorced. She then
spent the next 15 years or so alternately experimenting with letting our
grandparents raise us, trying to be our friends, and then finally when she
realized how shitty a parent she was going for some discipline. Of course by
then discipline was a joke.

And then say you, where was the father in all of this? Prison.

>From the time I was two I basically had no parents. The only thing that kept
me from become a complete scumbag was that I had to take care of my little
brother. By the time I was five or so I figured out that no-one else was
going to do anything for me so I had to do it for myself, and then by
extension I had to do it for my brother.

So look at what shitty parenting has wrought.

I am an over bearing control freak who has pretensions of extreme ego to
hide my underlying insecurities. Several times I have been diagnosed as a
sociopath, as I have little real concern for society or people not
immediately associated with me.

When I was thirteen years old I killed two older teenagers in a fight (they
were attempting to rob me and my brother). I had no feelings associated with
this. I mean literally none. Actually that's not quite true, somewhere
inside me I think it's kind of cool, but I really have no remorse
whatsoever. Nor do I have remorse for any of the other bad things I have
done to people I either don't know or don't like.

>From the time I was about three years old I was poked prodded and tested
because of my intelligence. They sent me to so many psychologists I wrote
this poem.

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink
It is I fear the same with people there's very few who think
It's not for me to criticize the culture that we link
To childhood experiences that've brought us to the brink
Of a society that's rapidly throwing it's future down the drink
And blaming it on our parents for beating our bottoms pink
And if everyone's a victim like some people seem to think
Then I guess it's painfully obvious
Why there are so many

GOD DAMNED SHRINKS!!!

But then again I have a wife who I love, several people who are my friends
for life who I would kill or die for, and they for me, a reasonably
successful career, and for the most part I'm happy. As I have grown older I
have developed my own code of morals, ethics, and honor, that I find works
for me, and let's me live and be happy with myself.

My brother on the other hand, is a drug dealer who pretty much hates
everyone and everything. He honestly feels that neither of my parents loved
us and while he loves me he and I don't get along at all. He spends his time
either being high/stoned/drunk, or manipulating and abusing the people
around him. He is basically miserable.

I think the main difference between us is that I was forced to take personal
responsibility early on, and throughout my entire life. He on the other hand
has never been responsible for anything. That I believe, is the central
problem in our culture today. We have deprecated personal responsibility and
with it go morals, ethics, and parenting.


Chris Byrne
=======================================
The eyes may be the windows on the soul
But the word is the doorway to the mind
=======================================