5 Feb 10, Friday: Times of India, Mumbai, page 14, Tuesday, 2 Feb 10 – ‘young, drunk and reckless at the wheel’

An alarming number of cases of educated, working men and women causing life-taking accidents due to drunk and rash driving.

Is this an aberration or a pre-cursor to a trend where dangerous and reckless lifestyles and complete lack of regard for law and order will be the gen-next trend?How do parents and family members not see a loved one living on the edge of a self-destructive lifestyle or is it now an acceptable practice that so long as you make your own money how you live doesn’t matter? What is appalling is that in most cases the drinking and crazy lifestyle is financially supported by the parents themselves?

Does good upbringing and education solely mean that the children have a career or make money or do are we doing all that it takes to ensure that we raise respectable and responsible citizens as well?  As parents it is time to introspect!  Have we fulfilled our responsibility as parents? Or have we merely been ‘providers’?
There is a strong need today that children and youngsters be taught the value of discipline and accountability; we have perhaps taken the freedom that we enjoy in a country like ours for granted; if not checked in time, law may perhaps be the only way to correct this blatant and callous attitude.

It is time we understand that with freedom comes a great responsibility; a good start would be to become accountable for our actions.