10 Year Old, 12 Year Old Have Gun, Knife Fight

[Ninja]

In the Netherlands, there are a few student houses with a few rooms and a shared livingroom, bathroom and kitchen. Other places to live are spare rooms people with large houses rent out. The demand is much higher than the supply and you're LUCKY if you can get something for €300 per month that is slightly larger than a cardboard box. And that's WITHOUT gas, water and electricity.

[eoraptor]

The apartment I had in Minneapolis was shared with three other girls. It was a two-bedroom apartment that was 500 square feet. $300 a month each and not including utilities. I would have gladly worked longer and paid more if it meant not living with those people.

My first roommate was from Croatia and spent the entire time telling me how horrible America and Americans are (then why did you come to school here?). The second decided to learn how to juggle knives and flaming sticks...by starting with knives and flaming sticks. She also stabbed herself in the head. The third set were a bunch of guys who never washed a dish in their life and demanded I pay full rent (and tried to squeeze me for more than my fair share of the utilities) while letting their buddy and his girlfriend stay rent-free. The fourthish roommates were the ones above. I had other roommates (sort of) during that summer my Minneapolis roommates were screwing things up, but they worked early morning and I worked evenings, so we never saw each other and they only stayed a month since they were volunteers.

But again, I'd rather work two jobs than have roommates again. I'd (almost) rather move back in with my parents.

[lys]

You have a nice goverment, Ninja...I always wondered why the US's government cant get it together and help its citizens like yours. Instead we have a choice to vote for the lesser of two evils.

[athena]

"I also think that some people are simply born as "bad seeds", and will remain so no matter their upbringing. JMO. "

I agree!
Sure some parents ARE lousy at parenting and it screws up the kids. (Although sometimes the kids turn out OK but really hurting inside.)
But I think some kids ARE bad seeds.
My brother was one.
Sure he was adopted (different genes from his parents) but so was I and I was NEVER destructive like him!
And I know of plenty others like this where the parents who bred and raised them did a great job but the kids were bad seeds.
And it sure helps to put me RIGHT off! (ever having my own.)

[preraph]

I think there are a few unexplained bad seeds. Brain tumor, for example. Horrible genes. But I think people who consider themselves excellent parents can create a sociopath by giving their kid everything they want without making them earn it and by not teaching them empathy, for example, to pets and instead letting them treat a pet like a toy to pull its tail and torture for their own amusement. If they let their kid get away with murder because they are too weak to want to make the kid unhappy, he may very well grow up without a conscience and believing he can take what he wants.