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What The Hell

Article by Monica Mingo

I'm sitting here watching teen girls and their problems on Oprah. This young lady just finished talking about her blackout binge drinking that gives her relief from her problems. Let me repeat that....relief from her problems. When asked what her problems were she explained the stress of being in college on her own for the first time and not having anyone to tell her what to do. Uh...yeah. She didn't say anything about paying a mortgage or falling behind on her bills because she's been laid off...you know...REAL problems...she's talking about regular life responsibility things. *sigh* The only person that could relate to her was Jada Pinkett Smith (why this heffa keeps looking better and better the older she gets?) who told her she'd been there, done that, and her advice was some kind of angry black woman pounding fists, etc. Asked how she'd overcome her issue with alcohol she said she just did it on her own. Me being my old sarcastic self thought..."I bet having a man with MILLIONS at his disposal didn't make it too difficult either huh?" I'm awful. Help me please.

The second segment was about young ladies whom had suffered abuse from their boyfriends. I'm talking 14, 15 year olds. AND THEIR PARENTS DIDN'T KNOW! HOW IN THE HECK DOES THAT HAPPEN? Hell, Ms. Nellie knew every single thing about me and my life because....you ready for this? I HAD NO LIFE! When I was 14...I took my azz to school and brought my azz home...did my homework, ate dinner, did the dishes, watched some tv, read a book, took a shower...AND WENT TO BED!!!!!!!

Sorry...I'm getting off track here. How in the world don't you notice your daughter bruised up? Or walking weird because someone has thrown her into a wall? The girl's say they hid it well...lawd, lawd, lawd...I feel for my daughter. Could it be that, once again, this was right in front of the parent's eyes and they just weren't LOOKING at her?

So one of the young ladies mother was there and Oprah asked her when she found out her daughter's boyfriend was beating her and what was her reaction. Let's take a minute to view how this would have gone had it been me:

Oprah: After the commercial we will speak with Amber's mother. Commercial: (sing, song, buy this...it's the best) Oprah: We're back talking to Amber's mother regarding her daughter's abuse. ****Camera pans to jumbo monitor behind Oprah**** Oprah: Mrs. Mingo-Moss is via satellite from the Women's Correctional Facility where she is currently serving time for attempted 3rd degree murder.......

See? There is a difference between passive and aggressive parenting. I bet you have a feeling I might take it too far huh? LOL!

Parenting sounds like a very, very scary job to me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm cut out for it. With all of the problems these kids are obviously facing...we have to evolve in the way we help them deal. Bullying has gotten out of control and I think I would be very interesting if I ever found out a child of mine was being bullied as well as if I found out he/she was BEING a bully. Just put it this way...my reaction would not be nice.

We have to teach kids how to be good citizens and how to show you care without it making you vulnerable. I don't know how I'll be able to do that effectively with my Creole temper but I'm hoping someone out there will give me better advice than I see some of these doctors giving. I just don't agree with the passive way of dealing with this crap but then again...what do I know...I have never been bullied a day in my life. *sigh*

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