My wife and I are raising six of my nieces in our home, and the one thing we've made clear to them is that we aren't their friends or buddies. As long as they are under our care and guidance, we are parents, they are the children, and our rules are the only ones that matter.This isn't hard for me at all because it is the same way I was raised by my parents. It's not about being hard and controlling, but establishing the clear boundaries: We're grown, and will act accordingly.
That's why the actions of Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler are so troubling. He is in hot water after a photo surfaced of him at a teen party this summer in Delaware where it was clear many of them were drinking alcohol.
In one image, a young man is on a table dancing with a girl and she is bent all the way over and is grinding on him.
When initially asked about the photo, Gansler was unequivocal: not my kids, not my problem, saying he was only there to speak to his son.
Now think about that for a second. The highest law enforcement officer in the state of Maryland, and a candidate for governor, made clear he had no intentions of doing anything or saying anything about the underage drinking going on at this beach house.
It wasn't until he was roundly criticized that Gansler changed his tune, saying he should have sought out the chaperones of the party to inquire about alcohol at the party.
Talk about weak leadership.
This is the fundamental problem with many parents today. They are isolated, operating in their own world and unwilling to stand up and take control.
How many times have we heard stories of young folks getting drunk at parties, driving under the influence and dying in car accidents or killing someone else?
When it happens, we all cry, experience the pain with their classmates and shake our heads at a life lost too young.
Ye,t all it takes is for someone to stand up and say, "Enough is enough!"
I recall as a teen my brother and I asking our parents to go to a party.
Source: Roland Martin Reports
Roland S. Martin is an award-winning CNN analyst and the author of the book "The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin." Please visit his website at www.RolandSMartin.com. To find out more about Roland S. Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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