keeping children out of prison

Everyday we see where some child has gone on a shooting spree, we read about drive-bys daily, there is more gang activity than ever in this country. What is the meaning of this? For one thing the family unit has broken down. I have read many articles that said the trouble started with integration. I can tell you from my research, integration had nothing to do with it. It is not a racial thing, it is a legal issue that started years ago. I find it funny that many people of my age group still remember the sting of the switch on our legs. I can remember the thing I feared most in school was for the teacher or principal to say they were going to call my parents. I knew what that would mean for me and it scared me in line. Then people found out they could sue someone over spanking their child and a new era hit this country. Obviously you could not spank your children at home and then sue someone else for doing the same so the time-out was introduced. When I was a kid my dad collected guns. I can remember on show and tell day he let me take some of his guns to school. Not only were the other kids fascinated but so were the teachers and even the principal. Of course I would never have even had the thought to shoot someone no matter how mad I may be at them. Now days we have metal detectors and a whole book of laws governing what you can have at school. What changed? The respect for life is the main thing and that is not something you are born with, it is taught (hopefully) at home by the parents. I have attended many trials and followed many on tv as I am sure you have too. One thing you always see is the upset parents as their child is being led away to prison. It seems the parents are always saying they couldn't do anything with the child, or "Idid the best I could". Many times I have been coming in late 11pm, and I will see 10 and 12 year old children on the streets on a school night. What is wrong with that picture? I do not blame the children, they will do whatever they are allowed to do. It is up to us as parents to know where our children are, what they are doing and who their friends are. That old statement about them needing their privacy or needing their space, hogwash. They are children, they don't need space, they need leadership. We have children getting out of high school that can barely read and write, they have no idea about how to apply for a job or keep up with a checkbook. All children cannot be basketball stars or american idols. The fact is, most children will need to hold a regular job, if they can get one. I saw a lady on tv last week, her son on his way to prison. She said "I wish I had been a little more strict on him". I could hardly stand it if one of my children had to go to jail. Especially if I thought I could have prevented it. It is real easy to just say yes to everything. But the fact is, we shouldn't let our children do everything they want. It is much harder to say no than it is to just let them go. But in the real world you don't get to do whatever you want and you don't always get what you feel you deserve. Would I spank one of my children and say no and risk making them unhappy? If it meant keeping them on the right road and maybe avoiding prison or even worse, you bet your hat I would. I want my children to be where I can see them whenever I want, not just on "visiting day". I do not believe in abuse or beating a child, so do not misinterpret what I am saying. But sometimes a good swat on the butt is what they need to realize they cannot act just anyway they want to. I wonder if parents do not realize why so many children get into gangs. Fact is most of them would not if they had a good home life and some leadership. Maybe we should all re-evaluate how we discipline our children (or do you discipline them at all?).