Moral Decay

John and Mary Smith (all the names have been changed to protect the innocent) must be very proud. Their daughter, Jenny just made a porno movie. Actually she was featured in Girls Gone Wild. But it is the same.

John and Mary saved for 18 years to be able to send their little girl to college. They did without, scrimped and saved. They were so proud. Their daughter did her part too, she studied hard. A good college would make her future.

John and Mary's neighbors laugh at them. The men ogle at the videos of their daughter, and the women call her a whore behind their backs. Well not. The men do watch the videos and the women keep silent, praying that their daughters will not do what Jenny Smith did.

And John and Mary Smith still pay for their daughter's college education.

What is the problem with that picture? Can anyone see?

The problem is that we don't hold people responsible for their actions. We say that it isn't your fault. It is the fault of the pornographer, the fault of the authorities for not stopping him, you have ADD or some other alphabet soup illness. But it is never your fault. There must be a reason, an excuse.

John and Mary Smith like many other parents forget many things about being parents. That they must set the moral example for their children. That they are the parent and they hold the purse strings. That a college education is a privilege, not a right.

What would happen if little Jenny's parents were to say to her: "We don't accept what you did. You are an adult and if you want to be in porno movies, we can't stop you. But we don't have to pay for it. As of this day, we will not pay for your college education."

Little Jenny would cry and scream, carry on like a child. And then most parents would give in. But in a moral world, the parents would hold fast.

Parents save for years to put their child through college. Most people save at least $20,000, some even more. And the child believes that the world (and their parents) owes them a living. They never stop asking for more.

A parents legal responsibility for their child ends when the child turns 18. At that point the child is now an adult. A parent can choose to pay for their continued education, but they can and should pull the funds when the child takes the education and/or funds for granted.