“A good kid” and “a good person” are phrases in great use. Unfortunately, they are often used of those who have done wrong. A young person has gotten into trouble, and a parent or other adult hastens to say, “He’s a good kid” or “She’s a good person”.
“Tara is a good person,” said Donald Trump, speaking of Tara Conner, Miss USA. I don’t know Tara personally, but a good person is a person of character – of moral excellence. Can Tara make such a claim? Tara exercised no self-control, allegedly, when it came to underage drinking, drug use, and wild partying. Her contract demanded self-control in those areas, but Tara had no respect for her contract or for the people she represents.
“He’s a good kid,” said a Texas mother, speaking of her 17-year old son Joshua Bush (no relation to the President). I don’t know Joshua personally, but a good kid would exercise character on a fairly consistent basis. This young man allegedly took part in robbery and attempted murder. The bullet lodged in Joshua’s forehead could prove his guilt when it is removed. Yet his mother says, “He’s a good kid.”
A good kid without character? How can that be? Do we no longer know the meaning of the word good? Or do we not understand Character? A good kid does not join a gang. A good kid does not try to rob others. A good kid does not get into gun fights. A good kid is not shot in the forehead in a shoot-out. He does not later lie, saying a stray bullet came through the window and, by chance, lodged in the middle of his forehead.
A good kid without character? What kind of character-building message does that mother, and others like her, send by applying such a phrase to a gun-slinging robber? A good person without character? What kind of message does Donald Trump send when he applies that phrase to a young woman who threw self-control and respect to the winds once she had the coveted, costly crown on her head?
A good kid without character is an oxymoron: a combination of contradictory words. Good kids are those who are in the process of building character, and exercise character to the greatest degree they are able, given their age and understanding. Good people are those who respect contracts and the people with whom they have made those contracts. Good people are good role models by virtue of their character.
A good kid can be raised to be just that, but it takes consistent, dedicated effort on the part of the parents and others who have influence on him or her. It takes a good character education program in the school where that child attends. It takes conscientious building, at home, of every quality on a definitive list of character traits.
I challenge those who have any input into young people’s lives to help those young people build character in the new year.
That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?