Well, this kid is 14.  I can't say whether his mother cares or not, because I've never actually spoken to her.  My husband has, though.  Numerous times.  There's always an excuse, like some other kids dared him to do it or he was set up....it's never his fault.

Way to teach your kid personal accountability, huh?

Yes, it does, but this kid is white.  

There are things that the Air Foce can do about it.....they're fixing to get kicked off base.  He can be barred from the installtion, permanently if necessary.  He can come on for medical care, but he'll have to be escorted and he'll have to sign in and out.

The cops busted them for that one.  They had to go to a juvenile board hearing over at legal...and the mom's explantion?  "They were just playing manhunt".

Utter bullshit.

I'm sure theis kid has some redeeming qualities too, but I haven't had the opportunity to see them yet.  And, as far as I can tell, his punishments aren't too severe....because every time he gets picked up, he's right back on the street 2 nights later.  The Juvenile Discipline Board is a closed case and the records are sealed, so I don't have the opportunity to go see what happens like I do at Magistrates Court or Court Martials....or else I'd have been there.  But, when I mention his name to the attorneys I work with they roll their eyes and ask what he's done now.

Exactly.  Every parent has a responsibility to their children that goes beyone providing basic sustenance and shelter....but the military has ways of making lackadasical parents toe the line.  See, they're held responsible for their dependent's actions.  They are the ones who are accountable.  People get paperwork for failure to control their dependents.  They can also get asked to vacate base housing, and their dependents can be barred from base.

This behavious has to be stopped, and if the parent's won't take action, the military will.

No, but their actions can adversly affect the parents career.  Sometimes that's all that's needed.  Unfortunately, people are still going to do the minimal amount of parenting necessary.

I have a story about that..

I was working at legal, and I had a line of people waiting.  Some lady comes in, marches right up to my desk, and says that she needs to get a power of attorney.  I explain that so do the rest of the people who are waiting in line, and that when I've helped them I'll be happy to help her.

Her: "But I need one"

Me: "and you'll get one, just as soon as I can get to you.  I won't send you away empty handed"

Her: "But I need one now"

Me: "I can't help you right now, right at this second.  As soon as I can get to you, I will, I promise.  I'm the only one here, so I'm afraid you'll just have to wait."

Her: "but i need one"

Me: "and you'll get one, so please, just have a seat and bear with me and I'll be right with you."

Her: "But my husband's a Captain"

Me:  "And my husband's a Tech Sgt.  You point is what, exactly?"

Of course, not all officer's wives are like that.  I find that Junior and Company grade officer spouses are the worst...once their husband's make Major they're past the "my husband is an officer" stage.

Some of the brass are cool.  My husband's commander came out to see us this evening...he rode my friend's husband's Harley (he's in Baghdad so he can't ride it and he worries about it) and when he was done he hung around and chit-chatted with us.  He's good like that - he doesn't have a wife so I think he feels like he has to play the dual role sometimes, you know, be the commader's wife and all.  He's yet to bake brownies though...

The attorney's I work for are cool too. I think it's the pilots who have the real issues...and that's partly because some of them have huge ego's to start with.

But anyway, we were talking about hooligan children...

There is a curfew.  However....people don't want to get involed.  They see kids doing stuff they shouldn't be doing, and rather than tell the kids to knock it off or calling the cops to report it they walk away and pretend they didn't see it. 

I'm not like that.  I tell kids that they're being jackasses and to cut it out.  I call security forces on them.  I'm a bitch about stuff like that.  I don't care if they don't like it.  I don't care if they think I'm a bitch.  I hope they think I'm the biggest bitch on the base if that's what it takes to keep them out of yard and off the street, if that's what it takes to stop them from peeing on playground equipment and huffing markers.