Warning.

[Dujon]

Commie, this is not directed to you, just the constant reference to 'generations' in the press and elsewhere. I surmise that we all get inculcated with such pap to the point where we believe it.

You can have 'generations' within a family. You cannot have 'generations' within a larger grouping. Even 'generations' within a family tree often cover significant numbers of years. The population as a whole (ignoring the 'baby boom' after drawn out wars) is a continuing evolution not some sort of synchronous wave of births and deaths.

Right, that's that off my chest.

I'm with TANGO on most of his points. Social mores of the past, whilst they could be considered as restrictive, existed for reasons. The main reason being defining 'right' from 'wrong' and drumming those values into growing children. Brainwashing? Yes. Did it always work? No. There have always been criminals and, no doubt, always will be. Such values are required in order to keep the social fabric of a society intact. Without them (whatever they are) the internal structure of the group falls apart and dissolution becomes the order of the day. Of course, some breakdowns of this type can be beneficial (e.g. escaping the yoke of a tyrant) but in general I would suggest that it is not.

I am not suggesting that the period during which I grew to be an adult was free of faults; far from it. I do though think that the pendulum has swung far too much in the other direction. When a parent cannot discipline a child for a transgression, other than by giving them 'a good talking to', then (to me) we as a society are approaching anarchy.

[Bruce Rioja]

I would've handed over they keys. Discretion is the better... and all that.

See, I'd like to think that I'd do exactly the same. However, there's this bit that's burning away at the back of my mind that's not quite so sure, having never been placed in that position. In the cool light of day I like to think that I'd just hand over the keys, and hey, maybe even claim for a better set of clubs than the one in the boot, but if actually challenged for my property by some scrotes that have no right to it? I really don't know. I hope I never have to find out. Best wishes to you and yours, Tango.