I wrote the following post a few days after a group of 200 Louisville youths rampaged through downtown, beating sightseers, pedestrians, and a driver stopped at a traffic light. The punks also swarmed a store to loot it and assault employees, an act that the owner says happens routinely.

My post was shared thousands of times so it’s obvious that the community agrees that it’s time to educate those who refuse to educate their own.

– Terry Meiners –

The rebirth of serenity

March 27, 2014 at 12:39pm

Distressed about violence in Louisville and elsewhere? People who give birth are the responsible parties. Why are those teenagers on a bus at 12:30 a.m.? Unless they’re coming directly home from work, there is no excuse.

The go-to response from apologists is always “You’re being judgmental.”

Thanks for the compliment. If a parent does not use judgment in how they raise their children, use judgment in school participation, use judgment in controlling idle time, use judgment in setting up curfews, use judgment in how and where a family will invest its human capital in the community, then the parents lack judgment.

Be judgmental. Set boundaries. Enforce the rules. Administer harsh consequences for failure to obey parental structure.

Parents are the judgmental guiding lights who shape the tenor of society at large. Once your kid thinks it’s OK to punch a 61-year-old man who is sightseeing with his wife and granddaughters…once your kid thinks it’s OK to punch a mother in the face while she’s sitting in her car obeying a stop light and trying to protect her five children…once your kid thinks it’s OK to repeatedly rampage a store to loot…you, the parent, are just as accountable as the “good kids” who do these things.

Coddling punks doesn’t work. Parents of out-of-control criminal children need to be cited by Child Protective Services and the whole family should submit to a mandatory rehabilitation plan. If the parent(s) fail, they should be removed from the rest of the community either financially or physically or both.

Stop blaming the community for hardships. All of us have hardships of some nature and none of us can fully understand each others’ challenges. This I know, lawlessness is not acceptable to the 99% who conduct our lives legally and honorably.

Unable to work? There are assistance programs to care for you. Commit crimes and you’re on your own. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Able bodied? Get a job like the other 99%…start at minimum wage and work hard to move ahead. That’s the starter kit all the rest of us followed from the time we were the age of these rampaging punks.

Study. Work. Work harder. Value life. Obey the laws of the community. Or leave the community before we are forced to remove you from it.

Your kids’ fists are your responsibility, parents.

Get to work. You’re way behind the rest of us.

———————————

(The following was received Friday, March 28, 2014, six days after the rampage attacks by Louisville youth)

Note from Jean Henry, wife of the man who was beaten by the mob at the Big Four Bridge:

“My husband was attacked in front of me and my 2 granddaughters. The officer discouraged us from making a report and did not escort us back to our car that walk back to our car was frightening thank you for asking the hard questions and presenting solutions.”

Dear Jean & Jim, I am so deeply sorry for the pain and suffering your family endured from these criminals. I am posting your note so that you can see how many wonderful people are feeling empathy for Jim, you, your granddaughters, and all other family members who are hurting with you. Your family is in the hearts of everyone reading this. Don’t lose faith in your community. We love and appreciate you and will keep the pressure on city leaders to bolster the police department and protect all of us. No one should ever have to go through what your family endured. God bless you. Louisville loves you. When you hurt, we hurt. Things will get better. The 99% will make leaders provide the police with the capital to “protect and serve.”
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Hollie Prater Sexton, Terry Montgomery Engleman, Betty Stowers Kolb and 223 others like this.
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Linda Metzger · 3 mutual friends
Terry, GREAT job again!!! As you stated above… the need for HARSH consequences for failing to obey parental structure! Absolutely! and may I add? What we ALSO need from the COURT system (and are NOT getting) is a HARSH set of consequences to these pe…See More
March 27 at 1:24pm · Edited · Like · 6

William Schuetze Please please don’t let go of this. This is the biggest issue facing this country. I live in Augusta GA now and because of my line of work I see this destructive “parenting” every day. We have to end the cycle of widespread irresponsible behavior. Dont give me this victim junk anymore. You have the voice and support of the vast majority Terry. Hang tough.
March 27 at 1:07pm · Like · 9

Carol Sanders Dupin · 17 mutual friends
to quote the Rev Cosby, with civil rights come civil responsiblity
March 27 at 1:10pm · Like · 5

Vicky Zirnheld Anderson · 20 mutual friends
Perfect! Our teen son (my stepson) recently told us that he catches so much flack because we keep a close eye on him. He said he didn’t want us to be the parents no one liked and had to defend us. Now, I’m a little doubtful as to just how much he defends us, I told him emphatically…I DON’T CARE IF YOUR FRIENDS LIKE US!!! That is not our job.
March 27 at 1:10pm · Like · 5

Debbie Dayton · 13 mutual friends
I grew up with police officers watching me because my Father was friends with them. I came home and my Dad had a list of where I had been. I was very Thankful to my Dad because I stayed out of trouble. I also raised my children the same way. I bless my parents for being excellent parents. They were strict but they were so Loveful.
March 27 at 1:22pm · Like · 4

Alex P. Brackett · 5 mutual friends
Preach brother!
March 27 at 1:22pm · Like

Tom Walter Terry Meiners, just when I think I couldn’t disagree with you more on many topics, you post something like this and I thump my forehead and think, wow, Terry is onto something here! Really, it is an ages old idea which our current day generation has fa…See More
March 27 at 1:22pm · Like · 3

Paula French Rust AMEN!!! You have many great posts but I think this is by far your best!!!!!
March 27 at 1:23pm · Like · 2

Scott Lyons · 23 mutual friends
Amen
March 27 at 1:28pm · Like

Kay Kendall · Friends with James Ramsey and 4 others
Very well said…..This should be placed in the Courier Journal, and National News.
March 27 at 1:47pm · Like · 4

JoAnn Kleinhenz · 3 mutual friends
Amen!!!
March 27 at 1:51pm · Like · 2

Sandy Smith Veltman · 2 mutual friends
Way to go Terry, we need more like you speaking out t h e TRUTH!!!
March 27 at 1:52pm · Like · 1

Joe Bishop It gets down to kids raising kids and our society now accepts this as normal. There is no taboo anymore in this “everything goes” society that is now considered the new normal.
March 27 at 1:54pm · Like

Janet Boyd Sturgill · Friends with Tim Goff
Very well said. I have always thought parents should be held responsible too for the actions of their children…if you can find them.
March 27 at 1:58pm · Like

Rich Givan Truer words were never spoken. Thank you.
March 27 at 2:06pm · Like · 1

Roberta Falkenstein Steutermann · 26 mutual friends
Well said! Very well said!
March 27 at 2:08pm · Like · 1

Deana Wissing Terry ~ your listeners/followers have grown tenfold since you have communicated what so many of us believe… Keep up the great work and momentum! Talk on!
March 27 at 2:09pm · Like · 2

Ron Borgmeier · Friends with Larry Bisig and 9 others
Great job Terry! When “anything goes” things gonna get chaotic.
March 27 at 2:17pm · Like

Linda Metzger · 3 mutual friends
I say, Terry Mieners needs to run for MAYOR! You know it takes a loving man with strong values who is NOT afraid and will NOT back down from what is right to be a SUCCESSFUL, government offical !
March 27 at 2:31pm · Like · 2

Carol Gray Having read the proposed “plan” for the next wave of teen violence, I was shocked to see that the teens would be picked up and taken to the YMCA Safe Place on Crittenden
March 27 at 2:42pm · Like

Carol Gray Drive, where they could leave if they wanted. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE??????
March 27 at 2:42pm · Like · 2

Terry Cantrell King Well said. Kids get in enough trouble with the parent doing everything they can to prevent them doing so. I know I raised four sons. It’s a parents job to stay on top of things. Set curfews, know where they are going, and check to make sure they ar…See More
March 27 at 2:47pm · Like · 2

David Wizzy Wisdom · 2 mutual friends
What these teens don’t think about are those, like me, with carry permits. KY and IN are stand your ground states. You can defend someone else who is in danger of immenent great bodily harm or death. I hope I never have to use my weapon in defense but I will if I need to defend myself or those around me.
March 27 at 2:51pm · Like · 1

Rob Mattheu Being a parent is a tough, impossible task. That anyone enters into it so lightly has always astounded me. Surely kids with great parents go astray and vice versa. But the odds weigh heavily on the side of good and involved parents. No amount of community centers or other investment can replace two or more active adults in a kid’s life.
March 27 at 2:55pm · Like · 3

Terry Cantrell King Values, morals, respect and self respect do not cost a cent, but are worth more than a stockpile of gold. Lack of money or lack of a job have no bearing on whether you have these codes of honor. For everyone of those kids who took part of the “pack at…See More
March 27 at 2:57pm · Like · 1

TommynTricia Ireland · 15 mutual friends
But Terry, its so much nicer to say its the day and time we live in than to actually hold these darlings and parents accountable. By the way, the kids that were with the kids that got stabbed should be held accountable for the kids death.
March 27 at 3:00pm · Like · 4

John M. Lally · Friends with Jim Mitchell and 34 others
Big government solution. Let’s see who wants to pay for this? How about we just hold criminals responsible for their own actions?
“Parents of out-of-control criminal children need to be cited by Child Protective Services and the whole family should submit to a mandatory rehabilitation plan. If the parent(s) fail, they should be removed from the rest of the community either financially or physically or both. ”
March 27 at 3:17pm · Like · 3

Sue Childers Right on Terry! Thank you!!!
March 27 at 3:26pm · Like

Mark Romines Nicely done Mr. Meiners. Of course, there will be somebodies church group that will scream foul soon. Wait and see. Remember those folks babies are good kids. They never do no wrong.
March 27 at 3:41pm · Like · 1

Gloria Kissling · Friends with Monty Webb and 1 other
A person can be held liable for damage his dog does. Can’t a parent be held liable for damage done by his/her child?
March 27 at 4:57pm · Unlike · 7

Sharon Sames Cheser · Friends with Doug Kemper
Good point Gloria!
March 27 at 4:59pm · Like · 1

Susan Eileen Moore The parents that use less or no discipline (and some are highly positioned in our city) are taking the easy way out. I have heard them say they are so busy, they don’t want to spend the time they do have disciplining(?). WHAT!! And this are parents …See More
March 27 at 5:49pm · Like · 2

Dee Dee Davis Hudson · 44 mutual friends
Well said Terry!
March 27 at 8:20pm · Like · 1

Keith Brewer · Friends with Greg Holman and 1 other
Amen Terry!!
March 27 at 8:30pm · Like

Angie Sego Johnson · 11 mutual friends
Amen!!
March 27 at 9:12pm · Like · 1

Wayne Little · Friends with Dick Swope and 8 others
Outstanding. Spot on!
March 27 at 9:14pm · Like

Amy Stinson Basham · 12 mutual friends
Agree completely! Very well said
March 27 at 9:39pm · Like · 1

Christy McDonald · 5 mutual friends
Spot on!!! Thanks for sharing!
March 27 at 9:43pm · Like · 1

Tracy Darnell · Friends with Nick Fow and 6 others
Finally someone has had the nerve to call it like it is. Thank you for having the guts to do so. Well said Mr. Meiners!
March 27 at 10:00pm · Like · 1

Cathy Simpson Ramsey NO EXCUSE
March 28 at 12:34am · Like · 1

Alan Jones · Friends with Joe Malone and 26 others
Amen!!!!!!! Time someone said it!
March 28 at 6:46am · Like

Rhonda Gilliland · 4 mutual friends
If only these words became action.
March 28 at 9:13am · Like

Michael A. Haile · Friends with Melodie Shrader
I also blame so called reality tv which shows kids that confrontational mode is always first choice.
March 28 at 9:40am · Like

Gail Klotz · 13 mutual friends
It’s all about CONSEQUENCES — and if there are none then they have free rein to do whatever they want to do. They can be disrespectful, obnoxious and disruptive and totally get away with it — in school, at home, in public. And, the parents aren’t an…See More
March 28 at 10:46am · Like · 1

Cindy Schroder Kruer · 10 mutual friends
Very well said hopefully the right people will read this, thanks Terry
March 28 at 10:36pm · Like · 1

Cindy Goble Jones Elmore · 2 mutual friends
Respect for others and responsibility for your own actions is gone, hearing the teen in the meeting state, they would stop when they get what they want, nothing but extortion.
March 29 at 6:31am · Like · 1

Charlene Brown · Friends with Deb Lee
Parents let the brats watch reality TV and anything else they want just so they don’t have to deal with them. Yeah Cindy Elmore. They are extorting us and the Mayor is all for it. How much of our wealth are we going to continue to throw at them to rew…See More
March 30 at 4:22pm · Like · 2

Terry Meiners Follow Philadelphia’s strategies: http://www.courier-journal.com/…/louisville…/7030697/

Louisville looks to other cities for lessons on flash mobs
www.courier-journal.com
Louisville hopes to learn from other cities to make sure gatherings don’t turn violent.
March 30 at 6:25pm · Like · Remove Preview