What In The World Is Wrong With American Kids?

[John F Kennedy III]

What In The World Is Wrong With American Kids?


Michael Snyder
The American Dream
July 25, 2012

What in the world has happened to the children of America? All over the United States kids are acting like half-crazed monsters, but most people seem to think that this is “normal”.


American kids today are selfish, self-centered, sadistic, cruel, disrespectful, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, boastful, unforgiving, incredibly brutal and they possess very little self-control whatsoever. They feel entitled to everything, but they don’t want to work for any of it. They are absolutely addicted to entertainment, and they know very little about self-sacrifice. Disciplining children is not considered to be “politically correct” in America today, and with each passing year these little hellions get even worse. So what in the world is our country going to look like when all of these out of control kids grow up?

Below I have posted a video that is likely to make you very, very angry. It is video of two 15-year-old bullies torturing a little 10-year-old boy in the back of a school bus. What makes it even worse is that the boy is a special needs student.

The short video below only shows some of the key moments, but the truth is that the bullies physically abused this poor boy for the entire 40 minute bus trip. They constantly used racial and sexual slurs and at one point they held a very hot cigarette lighter against his skin which made him howl in pain.

This video is a perfect example of what is wrong with the kids of America today….




Sadly, this was not an isolated incident.

The truth is that hellish scenes play out on the school buses of America every single day.

In a previous article, I discussed an incredibly shocking video that showed a group of school kids taunting an elderly school bus monitor so ruthlessly that she broke down in tears.

The video has been viewed more than 8 million times on YouTube and if you have not seen it yet you can watch it here.

It is time to face reality – American kids are really, really messed up.

This is one of the reasons why I am encouraging parents to get their children out of the government schools. I went to public schools all my life, and they were horrible enough back then. I feel really badly for any child that has to endure the hellholes that we call “public schools” today.

Sadly, there are endless examples of how out of control American children are these days.

For example, teens all over America are now playing something called “the knockout game”.

The idea is that you pick out a random stranger on the street and then you see who can run over and knock that person out first.

The following is from an article about one recent incident in Chicago where a group of teens actually killed an elderly man while playing the knockout game….


Three teenagers accused of killing a 62-year-old father-of-12 in West Rogers Park were playing a game called “Pick ‘em out and knock ‘em down” when they videotaped themselves punching him in the face, prosecutors say.

Malik Jones, 16, Nicholas Ayala, 17, and Anthony Malcolm, 18, were caught after the video of Jones fatally punching Delfino Mora was posted on Jones’ Facebook page, according to authorities.

The three were playing a “game where the offender picks an innocent victim and knocks him out by striking him and likely robbing him as well,” Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Terry Clancy told Judge Israel Desierto in court Monday.

How would you like to be walking down the street one day only to have a group of teens savagely attack you for no reason and try to knock you out?

Something has changed in America.

Our country is becoming very sick and twisted.

Meanwhile, our kids are becoming increasingly stupid at the same time.

For example, according to a survey conducted by the National Geographic Society, only 37 percent of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 can find the nation of Iraq on a map.

Sadly, there are many other surveys that have also shown how stupid our kids have become.

Posted below is an excerpt from a recent article that I wrote entitled “Dumb As A Rock: You Will Be Absolutely Amazed At The Things That U.S. High School Students Do Not Know“….


The following are some of the absolutely amazing results of a study conducted a few years ago by Common Core….

*Only 43 percent of all U.S. high school students knew that the Civil War was fought some time between 1850 and 1900.

*More than a quarter of all U.S. high school students thought that Christopher Columbus made his famous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean after the year 1750.

*Approximately a third of all U.S. high school students did not know that the Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of religion. (This is a topic that I touched on yesterday).

*Only 60 percent of all U.S. students knew that World War I was fought some time between 1900 and 1950.

Even more shocking were the results of a survey of Oklahoma high school students conducted back in 2009. The following is a list of the questions that were asked and the percentage of students that answered correctly….

What is the supreme law of the land? 28 percent

What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? 26 percent

What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? 27 percent

How many justices are there on the Supreme Court? 10 percent

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? 14 percent

What ocean is on the east coast of the United States? 61 percent

What are the two major political parties in the United States? 43 percent

We elect a U.S. senator for how many years? 11 percent

Who was the first President of the United States? 23 percent

Who is in charge of the executive branch? 29 percent

Are you surprised by those numbers?

You shouldn’t be.

Anyone that cannot see that there is something fundamentally wrong with American kids these days is being delusional.

Yes, there are exceptions. There are some young people out there today that are absolutely extraordinary.

But overall, the kids of America are a total mess.

Not only are our kids stupid and violent, they are also very sexually active.

In the United States today, 47 percent of all high school students have had sex.

All of that loose sexuality has some very negative consequences.

For example, the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate on the entire planet.

Is that something we should be proud of?

In the United States today, one out of every four teen girls has at least one sexually transmitted disease.

And there is no cure for some of those diseases. They can be treated, but they will stay with those girls for the rest of their lives.

Are you ready for some more shocking numbers?

The following statistics are from a survey of teen girls done by Tyra Banks….

On average, girls are losing their virginity at 15 years of age.
14 percent of teens who are having sex say they’re doing it at school.
52 percent of survey respondents say they do not use protection when having sex.
One in three says she fears having a sexually transmitted disease.
24 percent of teens with STDs say they still have unprotected sex.
One in five girls says she wants to be a teen mom.

Not that our boys are doing any better.

In fact, our boys are probably doing even worse than our girls are.

In a previous article, I quoted a recent Business Insider article that listed some amazing statistics about boys in America….


-In 2011, young men’s SAT scores were the worst they had been in 40 years.

-Even Hollywood has caught on: films like Failure to Launch, Knocked Up and Jackass mock the ineptitude of this generation.

-Boys account for 70 percent of D’s and F’s given at school.

-Research shows guys aren’t interested in being husbands, fathers or the head of the household.

-Boys are four to five times more likely than girls to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Two-thirds of students in special education programs are guys.

-The average boy spends 13 hours a week playing video games. The average girl spends 5. The average young American will spend 10,000 hours playing video games by age 21. That’s twice the time it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree.

-The average high school boy spends two hours watching porn every week. Men can’t escape porn: 13,500 full-length commercial porn films were released in 2011, compared with 600 Hollywood films.

-Researchers claim that internet pornography is hurting young boys’ ability to form meaningful romantic relationships because they objectify their partner.

-It’s predicted that 60 percent of bachelor’s degrees will go to women by 2016.

After reading all of that, is there still anyone out there that doubts that there is something fundamentally wrong with American kids?

It is so sad to watch what is happening to future generations.


So what is causing all of this?

There are a lot of factors of course, but the breakdown of the family is definitely one of them.

According to the Pew Research Center, only 51 percent of all Americans that are at least 18 years old are currently married.

Back in 1960, 72 percent of all U.S. adults were married.

The United States has the highest divorce rate in the world by a very wide margin, and America also has the highest percentage of one person households on the entire planet.

Our families are weak and they are getting weaker, and our children are suffering.

It is this type of environment that produces monsters such as James Holmes. When the basic building blocks of society break down, people tend to lose it.

Don’t let this happen to your family or to your children. In a world that is becoming crazier and more unstable with each passing day, there is more of a need for love and family than ever before.

So what do all of you think about the behavior of American kids these days?


hyperlinks in article here:
http://www.infowars.com/what-in-the-...american-kids/

originally here:
http://endoftheamericandream.com/arc...-american-kids

[QuickZ06]

"One in five girls says she wants to be a teen mom."

Thank you parents for letting your kids watch that show!!!

[LibertyRevolution]

You cant beat your kids no more without them threatening to call CPS on you.
Both parents have to work now, so children spend most of the day in school and childcare.
After working all day, parents don't have the energy to deal with kids, so they sit them in front the TV.
Young kids don't really understand the difference between reality and fiction, so there brains begin to think like the TV.
So far as they are concerned, Jersey Shore and 16 and pregnant is "normal" life.

I say blame the government. If they didn't keep 1/3 your wages, steal your savings through inflation, and regulate who can watch your kid..
Then maybe both parents wouldn't have to work just to scrape by, and they could actually raise their children properly.

[hazek]

You cant beat your kids no more without them threading to call CPS on you.
Both parents have to work now, so children spend most of the day in school and childcare.
After working all day, parents don't have the energy to deal with kids, so they sit them in front the TV.
Young kids don't really understand the difference between reality and fiction, so there brains begin to think like the TV.
So far as they are concerned, Jersey Shore and 16 and pregnant is "normal" life.

I say blame the government. If they didn't keep 1/3 your wages, steal your savings through inflation, and regulate who can watch your kid..
Then maybe both parents wouldn't have to work just to scrape by, and they could actually raise their children properly.

Aside from beating you identified all the real culprits of this problem.

[Sematary]

You cant beat your kids no more without them threatening to call CPS on you.
Both parents have to work now, so children spend most of the day in school and childcare.
After working all day, parents don't have the energy to deal with kids, so they sit them in front the TV.
Young kids don't really understand the difference between reality and fiction, so there brains begin to think like the TV.
So far as they are concerned, Jersey Shore and 16 and pregnant is "normal" life.

I say blame the government. If they didn't keep 1/3 your wages, steal your savings through inflation, and regulate who can watch your kid..
Then maybe both parents wouldn't have to work just to scrape by, and they could actually raise their children properly.

I have raised seven children and more than one has threatened to call DHS when I disciplined them (I don't believe in spankings or anything like that but punishment needs to be meted out at times) and I told them to go ahead - I wouldn't be the one leaving. That put an end to THAT crap.

[DamianTV]

These are ALL Learned Behaviors.

Every single problem that these "unruly" kids have been instilled into their fragile psyches by Public Schools. This is what they are taught in Math Class. Math Class doesnt teach Math, it teaches students to have nothing but contempt for every other student. History Class teaches Intellectual Submission, and whatever answers the students come up with of their own realizations is wrong because it is not in the book. Any thoughts they thought they have must be approved by the Teacher. This teaches Disobedience.

We could go on and on and on about the specifics of the Name of the Class and what is actually Learned from the Class, but to keep this short, and sweet, this is what our entire Society has instilled into children. To teach them the behavior that is expected to be able to survive in Society is the exact opposite of what is desired. They know at some level that they have absolutely no future, and they are angry at us for destroying it.

[Nickels]

Disrespectful kids are a sign of a free society, moral fascists somehow want parents to spank and punish so the state won't have to. There are two ways to teach a kid, spank or spoil, both have consequences, that's why most parents choose the middle ground, the fact there are extreme anomalies should surprise nobody, we just hear about it more because we have mbetter media and communications

[GunnyFreedom]

Disrespectful kids are a sign of a free society, moral fascists somehow want parents to spank and punish so the state won't have to. There are two ways to teach a kid, spank or spoil, both have consequences, that's why most parents choose the middle ground, the fact there are extreme anomalies should surprise nobody, we just hear about it more because we have mbetter media and communications

Categorically untrue. If it were, then white landowners children from 1770 to 1850 would have been running far more amok than they are today, and that did not happen. We as a society (aside from the minority racial civil rights struggle) are markedly less free than we were in the 1960's, and the kids today are far worse and more violent. Sure, there have always been hooligans, going back thousands of years I am sure, but your idea that freedom necessarily means that kids will be disrespectful is first rate poppycock. Not only does correlation not imply causation, but there is no correlation in the first place. A fallacy built on a falsehood. Folks around here are too smart for that action.

[Nickels]

Categorically untrue. If it were, then white landowners children from 1770 to 1850 would have been running far more amok than they are today, and that did not happen.

Which is exactly why I never said they were free or freer than today. Kids back then feared their parents, or had no means of transportation, communication which allow them to disrepect their parents today. How is that "freedom"?

We as a society (aside from the minority racial civil rights struggle) are markedly less free than we were in the 1960's,

Says who?

and the kids today are far worse and more violent. Sure, there have always been hooligans, going back thousands of years I am sure, but your idea that freedom necessarily means that kids will be disrespectful is first rate poppycock.

No, disrespect and freedom are not synonymous, our tolerance of it is an indication of their freedom though. Disrespect for parents and authority do not take away freedom of the parent or authority, so that is ultimately MORE freedom for the children (and the population, unless it comes at another's expense).

Not only does correlation not imply causation, but there is no correlation in the first place. A fallacy built on a falsehood. Folks around here are too smart for that action.

never said there was any causation or whatever the hell. I simply said toleration for disrespect is a form of freedom.

[GunnyFreedom]

Which is exactly why I never said they were free or freer than today. Kids back then feared their parents, or had no means of transportation, communication which allow them to disrepect their parents today. How is that "freedom"?

In the 1770's kids had access to horses, which could carry you more places than a car. Communicating 'faster' is not automatically communicating 'freer.'

Says who?

Do you really think America is more free in 2012 than we were in 1962? Say instead 1952 to make it easier. Seems to me the more freedom individuals had, the more respect kids had. Not less.

No, disrespect and freedom are not synonymous, our tolerance of it is an indication of their freedom though. Disrespect for parents and authority do not take away freedom of the parent or authority, so that is ultimately MORE freedom for the children (and the population, unless it comes at another's expense).

Tolerance of disrespect is not an indication of freedom, it is more an indication of being cowed into submission by an overarching and interventionist state apparatus. Teaching kids respect will make them far more free over the course of their lives than letting them be disrespectful and feral. We as a society are too consumed by the moment that we fail to take into account the long vision. The first 18 years of your life are but the blink of an eye compared to the remaining 70 years you live as an independent adult. Respect and discipline teaches responsibility. Without responsibility there can be no liberty.

Any parent who cares about their kids freedom and liberty will do whatever it takes to teach them respect and discipline for that very reason. I would argue that parents who let their children run wild and feral do so because they specifically do not care about their kids freedom and liberty, or else they do not know enough about what freedom and liberty is in the first place to understand that you can't have it without responsibility.

never said there was any causation or whatever the hell. I simply said toleration for disrespect is a form of freedom.

No, you said, "Disrespectful kids are a sign of a free society," and I will say again that is categorically untrue. If we actually lived in a free society, then parents would feel free to discipline their children without fear of being sent to prison and having their children seized by CPS. Parents don't fail to discipline their kids because they respect their freedom, parents fail to discipline their kinds for 2 major reasons - 1) fear, they are afraid of government repercussions for disciplining their children, and 2) lack of knowledge, since the tyranny of fear started some 20-30 years ago, there are parents today who were not raised with discipline and therefore do not know how to discipline their kids.

No parent wants their child to grow up and be a failure or a mass murderer or such. Most everybody knows that discipline is the primary key to success. If parents knew how to discipline their kids and weren't too afraid of the government to do so, then they would, precisely because they respect their kids' liberty in a free society.

The flip-side of liberty is responsibility. The primary component of responsibility is discipline. If you really want your kids to be free and you respect their right to liberty, then you should be doubly adamant to teach them discipline as a child so that they can in fact grow up free.

[Nickels]

In the 1770's kids had access to horses, which could carry you more places than a car. Communicating 'faster' is not automatically communicating 'freer.'

Actually it makes a big difference. Try replacing every kid's car now with a bicycle, and take away their phone access. See how far they can run and hide without arranging with their friends to meet.

Do you really think America is more free in 2012 than we were in 1962?

Yes, I do. Why shouldn't I. Can you tell me why you don't?

Say instead 1952 to make it easier. Seems to me the more freedom individuals had, the more respect kids had. Not less.

Seems to you, that's the problem. How about we first establish if people were actually freer in 1952 vs 2012, and let's see your definition of freedom. It wouldn't surprise me at all if we have complete opposite ideas.

Tolerance of disrespect is not an indication of freedom, it is more an indication of being cowed into submission by an overarching and interventionist state apparatus.

You mean because the state is giving parents less freedom to spank, children have more freedom to disrespect?

Teaching kids respect will make them far more free over the course of their lives

Who asked you about "more free over the course of their lives"? You are really good at changing the subject to make your point. is this your way of avoiding admitting the obvious? Why do you bother saying "Yeah but in the long run I am still right" if you can simply say "I am right, now, period".

than letting them be disrespectful and feral. We as a society are too consumed by the moment that we fail to take into account the long vision.

Yes, we value short term freedom and instant gratification. You seem to call that non-freedom. Right?

The first 18 years of your life are but the blink of an eye compared to the remaining 70 years you live as an independent adult. Respect and discipline teaches responsibility. Without responsibility there can be no liberty.

You don't need responsibility or discipline if people continue to tolerate disrespect. Just like you don't need to teach your kids racism or black kids to avoid racist neighborhoods if people continue to leave back the outdated beliefs of racism.

Any parent who cares about their kids freedom and liberty will do whatever it takes to teach them respect and discipline for that very reason.

Any parent who wants their kids to be happy for the moment will do nothing and let them be. Just like how libertarians want the government to treat them, to be left alone and free to make mistakes, not breastfeed them from harm. You don't want the government telling you to be fiscally responsible or watch every move you do, because you want the freedom to f- up and get arrested, that's the CHOICE you make and PRICE you pay for "freedom". Do you want the government to "care about your freedom and liberty"? Or just leave you alone?

I would argue that parents who let their children run wild and feral do so because they specifically do not care about their kids freedom and liberty, or else they do not know enough about what freedom and liberty is in the first place to understand that you can't have it without responsibility.

Yes, you would argue that. Because you don't agree with their idea of freedom. Their idea of freedom is letting their kids do what they want, either without punishment, or let others punish them.

No, you said, "Disrespectful kids are a sign of a free society," and I will say again that is categorically untrue. If we actually lived in a free society, then parents would feel free to discipline their children without fear of being sent to prison and having their children seized by CPS.

Ok cool. So we agree on something. Freedom is a zero sum game, if parents are less free to spank their child into submission, children are MORE free to be wild and happy. Unless freedom children get for dissing parents comes at the expense of parents (and it might not, not if parents voluntarily give it up), it's still more freedom overall.

Parents don't fail to discipline their kids because they respect their freedom, parents fail to discipline their kinds for 2 major reasons - 1) fear, they are afraid of government repercussions for disciplining their children, and 2) lack of knowledge, since the tyranny of fear started some 20-30 years ago, there are parents today who were not raised with discipline and therefore do not know how to discipline their kids.

I call that respect for freedom, or tolerance of disrespect.

No parent wants their child to grow up and be a failure or a mass murderer or such.

But no parent wants their child to be unfree to make their choices if that's actually what they want....

Most everybody knows that discipline is the primary key to success. If parents knew how to discipline their kids and weren't too afraid of the government to do so, then they would, precisely because they respect their kids' liberty in a free society.

The flip-side of liberty is responsibility. The primary component of responsibility is discipline. If you really want your kids to be free and you respect their right to liberty, then you should be doubly adamant to teach them discipline as a child so that they can in fact grow up free.

What if I could raise children to be tyrants, isn't that another way they can be free without regard to other people? Oh nevermind, even tyrants need discipline first.

[Pauls' Revere]

Reminds me of the Pink Floyd Meatgrinder.

[PaulConventionWV]

In the 1770's kids had access to horses, which could carry you more places than a car. Communicating 'faster' is not automatically communicating 'freer.'



Do you really think America is more free in 2012 than we were in 1962? Say instead 1952 to make it easier. Seems to me the more freedom individuals had, the more respect kids had. Not less.



Tolerance of disrespect is not an indication of freedom, it is more an indication of being cowed into submission by an overarching and interventionist state apparatus. Teaching kids respect will make them far more free over the course of their lives than letting them be disrespectful and feral. We as a society are too consumed by the moment that we fail to take into account the long vision. The first 18 years of your life are but the blink of an eye compared to the remaining 70 years you live as an independent adult. Respect and discipline teaches responsibility. Without responsibility there can be no liberty.

Any parent who cares about their kids freedom and liberty will do whatever it takes to teach them respect and discipline for that very reason. I would argue that parents who let their children run wild and feral do so because they specifically do not care about their kids freedom and liberty, or else they do not know enough about what freedom and liberty is in the first place to understand that you can't have it without responsibility.



No, you said, "Disrespectful kids are a sign of a free society," and I will say again that is categorically untrue. If we actually lived in a free society, then parents would feel free to discipline their children without fear of being sent to prison and having their children seized by CPS. Parents don't fail to discipline their kids because they respect their freedom, parents fail to discipline their kinds for 2 major reasons - 1) fear, they are afraid of government repercussions for disciplining their children, and 2) lack of knowledge, since the tyranny of fear started some 20-30 years ago, there are parents today who were not raised with discipline and therefore do not know how to discipline their kids.

No parent wants their child to grow up and be a failure or a mass murderer or such. Most everybody knows that discipline is the primary key to success. If parents knew how to discipline their kids and weren't too afraid of the government to do so, then they would, precisely because they respect their kids' liberty in a free society.

The flip-side of liberty is responsibility. The primary component of responsibility is discipline. If you really want your kids to be free and you respect their right to liberty, then you should be doubly adamant to teach them discipline as a child so that they can in fact grow up free.

It's really quite simple. The more freedom we have as a society, the more freedom parents have to raise their kids. No self-respecting parent would raise a child carelessly. In the beginning of our nation, from the 1770s to 1850 or so, parents were able to raise their own kids however they wished, and many chose to do so to support their interests by introducing them early on into their field of work. Discipline was necessary. When parents discipline their children as they see fit, successfully, the child will inevitably grow with a sort of respect for their parents. Less and less kids are being disciplined by their parents these days.

So when parents have the freedom to discipline their kids, the kid is usually forced to mould their behavior to closely resemble that of their parents, who support them. Who supports our kids these days? Some distant, far-off government daddy who puppeteers the public school system by indoctrinating our kids with lies. No wonder kids act up. The public school experience is hellish and there is not much time to actually discipline the kids except for the random teacher or supervisor telling the kids to "sit down and shut up" whether that be in the classroom, lunchroom, or elsewhere in the public school. There is no personal connection like with a father or mother. Instead, the majority of their time is spent babbling with kids of their own age who know as little as they do about the real world.

[lx43]

Categorically untrue. If it were, then white landowners children from 1770 to 1850 would have been running far more amok than they are today, and that did not happen. We as a society (aside from the minority racial civil rights struggle) are markedly less free than we were in the 1960's, and the kids today are far worse and more violent. Sure, there have always been hooligans, going back thousands of years I am sure, but your idea that freedom necessarily means that kids will be disrespectful is first rate poppycock. Not only does correlation not imply causation, but there is no correlation in the first place. A fallacy built on a falsehood. Folks around here are too smart for that action.

+Rep

[2young2vote]

We have to remember that people are animals. Just like some are more attractive than others, there are some who are more intelligent, while at the same time there are people who are more capable of morality (self control). For some reason many people are lacking whatever part of their brain that helps them make moral, logical decisions. I've yet to meet someone my age who has a more traditional Christian behavior than myself, and i'm as hardcore an athiest as you will ever meet. I behave the way i do for a reason, because it results in the greatest benefit for everything. Why does my co-worker go out partying? Because it makes her feel good. There is a notable difference in reasoning.

[PaulConventionWV]

We have to remember that people are animals. Just like some are more attractive than others, there are some who are more intelligent, while at the same time there are people who are more capable of morality (self control). For some reason many people are lacking whatever part of their brain that helps them make moral, logical decisions. I've yet to meet someone my age who has a more traditional Christian behavior than myself, and i'm as hardcore an athiest as you will ever meet. I behave the way i do for a reason, because it results in the greatest benefit for everything. Why does my co-worker go out partying? Because it makes her feel good. There is a notable difference in reasoning.

I don't believe people are animals. That is just propaganda which causes our kids to behave like animals. The statement itself is not supportable. It is simply a dogmatic assertion that has no logical grounds in reality.

[jonhowe]

I don't believe people are animals. That is just propaganda which causes our kids to behave like animals. The statement itself is not supportable. It is simply a dogmatic assertion that has no logical grounds in reality.

Are we... plants?

[John F Kennedy III]

Are we... plants?

I don't know about you, but I'm Bose–Einstein condensate

[PaulConventionWV]

Are we... plants?

No, we are human beings. We don't have to fit into some grand category that includes other organisms on this earth. We are just... human.

[AuH20]

No, we are human beings. We don't have to fit into some grand category that includes other organisms on this earth. We are just... human.

Higher level brain functions raise man above his animal brethren. The ability to distinguish between right and wrong, which is seriously in jeopardy after reading this thread. LOL

[jonhowe]

No, we are human beings. We don't have to fit into some grand category that includes other organisms on this earth. We are just... human.

We don't have to, but we do.

[Sam I am]

I don't believe people are animals. That is just propaganda which causes our kids to behave like animals. The statement itself is not supportable. It is simply a dogmatic assertion that has no logical grounds in reality.

People have the following traits

They're alive
They're composed of large numbers of cells
They move around

Sounds like animals to me.

[PaulConventionWV]

People have the following traits

They're alive
They're composed of large numbers of cells
They move around

Sounds like animals to me.

If those are the only requirements to be called an "animal", then yes, but the real fault of modern science (not good science, mind you) is that it makes no distinction between humans and soulless creatures that care only for their own survival. The worst kind tyranny happens when people are taught at a young age in their public school system that they have no special purpose that distinguishes them from other forms of life. People like that are more easily controlled. People like that have no agenda except their own personal satisfaction.

[ZenBowman]

If those are the only requirements to be called an "animal", then yes, but the real fault of modern science (not good science, mind you) is that it makes no distinction between humans and soulless creatures that care only for their own survival. The worst kind tyranny happens when people are taught at a young age in their public school system that they have no special purpose that distinguishes them from other forms of life. People like that are more easily controlled. People like that have no agenda except their own personal satisfaction.

Proof that humans have a soul?
Proof that animals are soulless?

[1stAmendguy]

If those are the only requirements to be called an "animal", then yes, but the real fault of modern science (not good science, mind you) is that it makes no distinction between humans and soulless creatures that care only for their own survival. The worst kind tyranny happens when people are taught at a young age in their public school system that they have no special purpose that distinguishes them from other forms of life. People like that are more easily controlled. People like that have no agenda except their own personal satisfaction.

Not good science? Let me correct you sir, I think you're confusing "modern science" with the dominant paradigm behind science today that is naturalism. Science cannot address moral speculation because it is not based on empirical evidence. You're entering into the realm of philosophy here. Stop bashing the factual evidence of modern day science. What you seem to have a problem with is the naturalist worldview.

[ZenBowman]

I don't believe people are animals. That is just propaganda which causes our kids to behave like animals. The statement itself is not supportable. It is simply a dogmatic assertion that has no logical grounds in reality.

Good example of what's wrong with America. People are so scientifically illiterate that even scientific truths are some kind of "political issue".

[PaulConventionWV]

Good example of what's wrong with America. People are so scientifically illiterate that even scientific truths are some kind of "political issue".

So let's examine this. What makes a person an animal, scientifically? Is it the common feature of being composed of flesh and blood? Then why are we using the "people are animals" mantra to define a human being's mental behavior? Is it the existence of forces in nature which force both humans and animals to accept and live with reality, giving us similar "instincts"? Perhaps, but why is it that we feel the need to call humans animals? We could say humans and animals share some common characteristics in their response to the world around them, but does that necessarily make them animals?

What is it that forces us to accept the presumption that sharing the world with animals and being composed of the same materials actually makes us animals? Any human being can tell you the big differences that exist between an organism that simply lives to survive and one that seeks to fulfill its quest for the most profounding questions in life and understanding of its existence.

What makes "humans=animals" some kind of unquestionable truth? Anyone can see that there are differences in the way we act and the way we think, the way we behave, the way we create. Animals live with no regard for others except when it serves their own self-interest while humans have compassion and morality. There is no denying the uniqueness of man. The statement "human=animal" requires some sort of standards for classification as an animal, so pray tell, what are the standards for defining something as an animal?

[ZenBowman]

What makes "humans=animals" some kind of unquestionable truth? Anyone can see that there are differences in the way we act and the way we think, the way we behave, the way we create. Animals live with no regard for others except when it serves their own self-interest while humans have compassion and morality. There is no denying the uniqueness of man. The statement "human=animal" requires some sort of standards for classification as an animal, so pray tell, what are the standards for defining something as an animal?

There is no denying the uniqueness of a rhino either.



Pretty damn unique, isn't it?

You see plenty of compassion and morality among animals as well.



As to what defines something as an animal:

1) Multicellular
2) Motile
3) Reproduce sexually
4) Must ingest other organisms to survive (in contrast with plants, which can photosynthesize energy from the sun)

In addition, humans are mammals, which are defined as:

5) Animals that give birth to live young
6) Reproduce sexually
7) Breathe air
8) Four chambered heart, have red blood cells

How is it that you can grow to whatever age you are and not know what an animal is (serious question)? Did you go to some kind of wacky religious school?

Shocks me completely that there is no basic requirement of literacy prior to being able to vote.

[DerailingDaTrain]

American kids today are selfish, self-centered, sadistic, cruel, disrespectful, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, boastful, unforgiving, incredibly brutal and they possess very little self-control whatsoever. They feel entitled to everything, but they don’t want to work for any of it. They are absolutely addicted to entertainment, and they know very little about self-sacrifice.

I can count on one hand the amount of times I've been disobedient to my parents. Selfish, self-centered, cruel, incredibly brutal? That's not me at all but I guess it just depends on how well you were raised

[John F Kennedy III]

I can count on one hand the amount of times I've been disobedient to my parents. Selfish, self-centered, cruel, incredibly brutal? That's not me at all but I guess it just depends on how well you were raised

Exactly. It's mostly about parental responsibility. Generally the less responsible the parents are, the worse the kid is.