V - you could come to Loo-si-Ana and join the ranks of the lowest paid school teachers in the nation too. So it could be worse.

Now don't you feel better?

Didn't think so. Being childless, I've wondered where the breakdown occurred that parenting fell off. Or rather when parents quit being responsible for teaching their kids basic manners and civility?

I chewed some neighborhood kids up and down one afternoon who were playing "Army" or something in the street, cause one of the boys pointed a gun at me. Unfortunately for him, the owner of the gun ("not My gun") had taken pain to scratch off the orange safety paint so it wouldn't look fake. I told the group that one N E V E R points a gun at another person - especially if they aren't part of your game. How was I supposed to know?!? I used to play "Army" or whatever when I was a kid, but my Dad taught me, Never EVER point your toy guns at someone who isn't part of your game. Furthermore, get some orange paint, and paint the safety ring back on the gun. Kids have been killed because police officers couldn't tell it was a toy being pointed at them! We then had a discussion on basic gun safety.

Their response was, "yes, ma'am". Gawd, I like living in the south, where you can still get away with yelling at your neighbor's kids. Did help that we were all the same race. Not sure I'd try it if they were all *pick your minority* as I'm white.