Walker County Press-Page 12
Lifestyle
Sunday Observations by Christy
Yall...........what in the ever loving nonsense is happening in our world??? This last week has shown a level of youth crime that is mind boggling! In Beaumont, there were I think SIX kids arrested for a murder, ranging from 14-18. In Fannett, we had a 22 year old, and a 24 year old arrested for murder of a 16 year old. The youth crime is out of control, even in rural America. Not surprising, we have systematically removed any authority our educators have, because parents have decided their precious darling would do no wrong. Parents are too busy doing their own thing to focus on the children. Little Johnny
looks great on social media so he could never be the problem, it’s those bullies, it’s the teachers, it’s the bosses, it’s the co workers, it’s the police, it’s the judge, it’s the jail system.....wait.....is it the coroners fault too? Folks, let me be perfectly clear. My little angel was.....well, far from an angel. She was a good kid, she is a good 30 year old. She is also a person that screwed up. She has made bad choices. She has gotten in trouble, although not with the law. So I am NOT, nor would I ever, say my kid is perfect. But what she is, and was, is a kid who knew there were repercussions for her behavior. She will openly
tell anyone, if I ever go to jail, I know to not call my mom. She will leave me. What she is now, is a person who has figured out Mom isn’t always crazy, that poor choices bring major consequences. She is HUMAN. So I do not say this from a perch of perfection. I am far from it. But if you young parents dont stop blaming every single person, besides your kid, when they screw up and stumble, we are in a world of trouble. Sometimes, little Johnny is “bullied” because he’s a jerk to others. That’s not being bullied, that’s being handed a dose of your own medicine. Sometimes, little Susie is in trouble at school because she has a smart mouth with no respect for anything, much less authority. But instead of saying, yes Mr. Teacher, we will handle this at home, you say....”well what was everyone else doing”. THAT DOES NOT MATTER. If your child was doing something disrespectful then let them be punished. My parents always let us fall. There were times the teacher was at fault, but I had been disrespectful. I paid the price for that. Because you see respect for others, equates respect for self. It also equates respect for life. Sadly, we are seeing an epidemic of no respect for anything other than personal gratification. Guess what kiddos? Life is hard, its harder when you are stupid. It’s even more difficult when you tolerate
the behavior and breed excuses. Whew....Happy Sunday peeps. The answer is not home school, it is not blaming the authority, it is not blaming another kid. It’s also not saying, I have no clue why my child is in jail, he’s a good boy. Chances are VERY good if he is in jail, he’s done SOMETHING. Take the responsibility of raising decent human beings
Thursday April 7 , 2022 that you are turning out to society. I could care less if your kid has a 4.0, is an engineer, or is the janitor. If they have no respect for others, the first person that has failed, IS YOU. The parent. Get it together, yall are better than this. You don’t let your kid play in the road because you want them to live. Literally you are leading your kids to jail, or early death, if you fail
to teach the basic skills of respect. Think about THAT. Get involved. Be so in your kids’ business that they know you are a raging presence. Be firm. Your job is not to be their BFF, Bestie, or anything like that. You have time for that if they make it to adulthood. Your job is to raise them, you got one shot. Do it now. Their lives depend on it.
WOODS, WATERS, and WILDLIFE
FRESHWATER FISHING REGULATION CHANGES By John Jefferson
We have some of the best and most varied fishing in America. Of the top ten states in paid fishing licenses purchased, Texas sits at the top. Many non-residents come to Texas just to fish. I interviewed a man originally from Ohio last week because he had caught 13.96-pound largemouth bass in Lake Austin. That’s rare. He had fished some big waters in the north but raved about Texas fishing. The variety of species and numbers of fish in our lakes and streams
says a lot. The list of state record fish tells the tale. I counted 74 species and subspecies of fish that have made Texas record books. Sure, not all of them are sought after by anglers, but somebody caught at least one or there wouldn’t be a record fish by that name. But, how come? What makes Texas such a popular place to fish? Reasons have to include our habitat. Our water is clean. And you don’t need an ice auger to fish it. Our temperatures are usually mild and conducive to fish breeding and growth. But Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) deserves the most
credit. TPWD fisheries biologists constantly survey populations for trends that need addressing. That leads to regulations. And enforcement of those is ably administered by trained game wardens. The process is evaluated each year at this time, and changes are presented, vetted, and adopted, if appropriate. Public comment is always considered. It’s a dynamic process. Its success lies in the quality of our fishing. Most of this year’s changes are in north and east Texas. Lake Texoma’s boundary with the inflowing river was delineated due to special regulations in the lake. And
