When did Client and Customer Service become Self-Service

Now I know that I can not be the only one asking this question but it appears that I am the only one addressing it.  One has got to wonder when this all changed from a society where those who can, help those you can’t into a world where those in a position to help dwell so deep within their own selves that they refuse to extend and share their knowledge and expertise to anyone or anything unless it can be done for a price.  I cast this light upon our justice system and those entities associated with it whose primary task would be to help control or eliminate desires to cause harm or injury to ourselves or our fellow man.

As many of you may already know, my nephew is the victim of this trend.  He is a young 15 year old with a very bright future ahead of him but quite a troubling past behind him.  Back in the past entities and families used to band together in order to help these lost souls find their way.  Each having their place and their assigned tasks.  Families attempted to keep youngsters on the straight and narrow but in case of failure, the justice system including the educational system would step up their game.  They would concentrate on making the youth well aware of the consequences of their actions either by suspensions or expulsions, probation or even a little incarceration time.  Neither family nor outside entity would ever dream of stepping on the toes of the other because we all knew each was only here to help.  It appears that the village needed to help raise a child exists only in the minds of people like me now.

The very first thing that the justice system sought to do, when it came o my nephew was declare him a Ward of the State.  This greatly steps upon the toes of the parent or guardian because it removes them from the equation of what happens to this child.  One would think that in order to do this the court would have to take away parental rights but apparently this system is allowed this privilege.  Once the child becomes a ward of the State, the decisions made on that child’s behalf is totally left up to this justice system and because they have no true knowledge of who this child is or anything about them makes them unable to render the proper judgment.  The child is then casted into the hands of a Public Defender who really do not have the compassion to fight as hard as they should to insure that proper justice is served.  The parent stands by and has to be held at arm’s length so that those chosen to serve and protect the community can do their job.

It becomes extremely clear to anyone who wishes to see, that this now becomes a task of making life easier for them instead of helping to shape and mold our youth.  Plea bargains and making life-changing decisions are done between people who know little about this child except from what they read in a report completed by another person who do not know this child from Adam.  Parents are consulted after that decision is made and because the decision has already been made, stands seldom any chance of shaping the outcome.  They do not have a voice in the decision but after all those involved has made it, will now be tasked with putting all of the pieces back together again.  It’s kind of sad to me, that so many can have a say in what happens to the child but not pay the penalty for getting that decision wrong.  Their job to serve stopped being about doing what is best for all and began being more about what is best for them.  They stopped caring about how and what their decision would bring to those they pass judgment on and more about how quickly they can just get this over with.  Where is the justice for the youth who are wrongly convicted and sentenced to time that they did not earn?  Where is the justice for those who have to gather all of the pieces of this child and slowly put them back together again?  Those that made the decision moves on while those who were excluded from this activity are left to fend for themselves.

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