Thursday, June 24, 2010

How NOT To Raise A Future Mayor

This is certainly not intended to be a defense of Kwame Kilpatrick, but I'm wondering how a man who was raised by public servants (and those who work for them) ever got the idea that HE was the charitable cause that funds from a Civic Fund should support.

Sure, apples occasionally do end up a far distance from the tree. And if that's the case, I wouldn't mind seeing an honest quote from the tree. Why isn't his mother saying "I don't know why he is being accused of this behavior, this is NOT how we raised him and I find it difficult to believe that he would be capable of this."?

But I doubt we will ever hear anything like this from the woman who purportedly told her son he "was chosen" to be Mayor.

Yes, I'm being tough on her, but raising children is a big responsibility. Raising responsible citizens is tough enough but purposely letting your child believe that he is destined for public service and letting him believe that role is an entitlement and not a responsibility is just.....wrong.

Yes, I know. My children aren't out there in the world yet. I've yet to see if the lessons I think I'm teaching them stick. I'd like to think that they will. And I'd like to think that if they don't, I'll take responsibility for not doing my parental duty and come clean about it.

Feel free to check back with me in 10-15 years.

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