So, this is how we treat our kids.

As parents we suck. We're horrible. We're apathetic, lazy and we don't deserve the wonderful kids we have.

I'm sure that at this point, you wondering where the hell do I get off calling anyone lazy or undeserving or implying that anyone is a even sub par as a parent. Chances are that if you're reading this and you have a kid in school, then all applies.

It has come to my attention that our school district has cancelled all field trips next year. All. No quick trips to the museum, or to see a play or to go to Jefferson City to see our state government in action. Our wonderful, useful, caring, thoughtful, state government. Our very own state government that, while in the midst of one of the worst budget crises in history, one of the leanest times in our existence as a state, is giving out over $300,000 for a group in our little community to study kids who dress differently. Or who don't think the same religiously as some of these closed minded morons conducting the study.

And yet, we as a group, as a public don't care. We as a group, as a non-participating electorate, deserve every little thing we get. And so do our kids then.

Quick, who's your representative in Congress? Your Senator? Without cheating. Who is it? Who's your State Representative? State Congressmen?

I'd be willing to guess that most people reading this couldn't answer one of the questions about who represents you in Washington and Jefferson City. Your lazy, apathetic and your kids deserve what they get.

Your kids deserve to have to miss out on the wonderful learing opportunities that a simple field trip presents. Your kids deserve to miss the social interaction that a field trip to a high school at Christmas to watch the local production of Scrooge brings. Your kids deserve to have to sit in schools that are being taught by massively underpaid and overworked teachers. Your kids deserve what you give them.

You deserve what you give your kids. You who didn't vote last time, because you were "just too busy." You who don't really care to vote because, "it just doesn't matter." You who don't or won't vote, because "they're all the same." Or whatever lame excuse that you might come up with for not participating. You've given your kids exactly what they deserve.

It's more than just the kids though. How did we get to the point where, the state is broke and can't afford to send money to the school districts to let the kids go on a field trip? How did we get to the point where the state of Missouri isn't or wasn't, rather, sending out the tax refund checks, because they needed the money? How did we get to live in a State with such a poor infrastructure, that they are consistently ranked in the lowest percentile for items such as roads and bridges?

It's very simple to explain.

Because we're lazy, apathetic, miserable excuses for parents. We're lazy, apathetic and miserable excuses for members of society.

Think it doesn't apply to you? Maybe it doesn't. Maybe you're one that can write your congressmen, or you state rep to let them know that you're going to vote them out of office next time because of the poor job they've been doing at running our state.

Of course that would mean several things. It would mean that, first of all, you'd have to know to whom you should write. Secondly, it would mean you would actually have to get off of your ass, to take the time out of your busy, busy day. It would mean that you would have to make an effort.

I don't think anyone wants to anymore.

So our kids deserve the crap we give them. And we deserve the crap we get.