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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The reason things are so bad is we no longer have any social standards or taboos. When I was young, there were many social standards, which no longer exist. These standards were not laws, but something much more powerful and that is the power of being shunned by society for unacceptable behavior. These standards were based on respect, honor, and discipline. Back then it was yes ma’am and yes sir. Now I’ve got some kid 40 years younger than me saying “hey dude”. I long for those days long ago, but at the time I thought all of it was pretty corny.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Over the years, social standards have pretty much disappeared. They’ve been replaced by what we call “political correctness”, which is basically established by the government and the media. In my opinion, political correctness has no basis other than the “spin du jour”, which is more about “air time” than ethics, morals, or anything else of substance. It’s so bad today that people are afraid to voice their opinion if it conflicts with the “politically correct” viewpoint. Glenn Beck pretty much says what he thinks and look at the reaction of liberal media, the politically correct, and probably some of our readers. I’m not so much concerned with what he says as much as how people react. The politically correct rhetoric is tolerance, but tolerance definitely doesn’t apply to the likes of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I apologize to our readers for digressing, but I’m trying to make a point. In a way political correctness is like the social standards of my youth. The problem is society did not establish these standards, the media and government did and continues to do so. Nor does the majority of people in our country agree with political correctness, but you’d never know it if you watch the 6 o’clock news.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>So here we are complaining about the very thing that we worked so hard to rid ourselves of for the last ~50 years. We have sown seeds now we reap the harvest. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>P.S. I apologize to our young readers who have no idea what I’m talking about. The older folks will have to explain it to you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bruce<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> towntalk-bounces@riverdale-park.org [mailto:towntalk-bounces@riverdale-park.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Sue Collins<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, July 01, 2011 1:31 PM<br><b>To:</b> Carol DePrato; TownTalk<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RP TownTalk] Stabbing in University Town Center<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I know what you mean, it's very sad. I've lived here since I was 8 and I hit the big 6-OH this year, so I've also seen a lot of changes. But it's not just right around here, seems it's all over. We used to walk from our apartment in East Riverdale to the theater at Riverdale Plaza at night, never thought a thing about it. And from what I heard, this incident in Hyattsville took place around 6:00 pm!! Guess I could get on my stump about what needs to be done, but I don't want to start some big debate. What happened last night is the main reason I try not to get around crowds of people anymore. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Carol DePrato <tazimax@verizon.net><br><b>To:</b> TownTalk <towntalk@riverdale-park.org><br><b>Sent:</b> Fri, July 1, 2011 7:22:40 AM<br><b>Subject:</b> [RP TownTalk] Stabbing in University Town Center</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Looks like there was a stabbing at University Town Center in Hyattsville last night stemming from a fight between 2 groups of young people. This is sad to me because I allow my sons to go there to movies and relax with their friends. I guess this is going to be another place I may have to reconsider going to. The crime in this area is getting so out of hand and nobody seems to be able to get control of it. Again this is sad for me because I have lived here all 42 years of my life and have watched the area just crumble. I wish that this area was like when I was a child when I didn't have to worry about such things.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Carol DePrato Miller<o:p></o:p></p></div><p> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>