Come Back, Shame!!

This is all Glenn Reynolds fault.

I have an ability to just glance at something and get it weirdly wrong.

As an example, I'll cite an incident from 14 years ago.

I was driving on Hixon Pike with my fiancee. Thenakedempress is from Tennessee, just about an hour or so from Instapundit country. We were going along, rather cheerfully, when out at the edge of my vision I saw a Chinese restaurant. The name seemed, for a moment, to be "The Human Wok". The rather rapid double take I did revealed the name to be "Hunan Wok, and eased my anxiety.

But the wrong name stuck in my mind ever after.

Well fast forward to a few days ago. I'm a fan of the Instapundit, and was scanning the stories. I happened to see a link titled "Come Back, Shane!!" and of course misread it in my haste.

But not all mistakes are bad. Since I was already tackling the social ills of American society, the way I misread it blended in perfectly, and gave good words to an idea. Hence the title of this article.

The last of the three major problems we face is the death of shame in this country.

In years past, it was considered a scandal to be an unwed mother. There were homes for them where they could give birth in secret. We even had a special word, that I'm all too familiar with, to say someone was of dubious parentage.

In short, it was shameful.

But, in our desire to be "good" people, we've done away with the shame.

And the result? Now it's common for a majority of children in many communities to be born into single parent situations.

I'll stand up here and metaphorically expose myself. No, I don't have children.

But it is tough today just to keep up with normal life even sans kids. To add kids into the mix requires a LOT of effort. That effort is best spread between two people.

This is not to say that there aren't some single mothers doing a fantastic job. There are. But overall, children benefit by having two parents. Higher graduation rates, lower drug rates, lower incarceration rates.

Our lack of shame is hurting children.

When I want something I can't afford, why don't I just go out and knock off a convenience store? Or even more profitably, sell illegal drugs?

Easy. Assuming I'd be caught, I'd bring a great deal of shame on thenakedempress. She's very old school about things like this. Could she live with that shame? I don't know, but I sure as hell don't want to risk it. (Loony blogging vets are a dime a dozen. Wives to put up with them are rare!!)

But to many, such formerly shameful acts are not only permissible, they are actually sought to raise "street cred"

And our entertainment industry doesn't help.

Brittany, our most infamous daughter from Tangipahoa Parish, has been photographed getting out of a car without her delicates. Is she ashamed? Far from it. Hell, thenakedempress is sometimes apalled at the ratty clothes I wear to do yard work, not even going off the property.

Ms. Lohan has had numerous trips to rehab, and spent more on them than most people pay for a house. All before 22 years of age, if I recall. Are her parents ashamed? Certainly not. Her mom appears to be one of her hangers-on when she's out getting smashed on booze and coke.

Maybe we'd all be better off with a little less "tolerance" and a little more shame.

To kick off this campaign, we need a good slogan. So far my best effort is to paraphrase from the Spanish-American war.

"Remember the Shame!!!"