Children Of The Damned
About Carol BellCarol is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Her passion is journalism and it shows. Carol is our unpaid, but very efficient, administrative secretary.
View all posts by Carol Bell →
I think I’ve mentioned that I’m a driving instructor before.
I had a bit of a shock today.
Now look. I’m 52 and my country has changed in so many ways I don’t like I do sometimes struggle to not be, at least perceived, as a racist or an Islamophobe or some other kind of phobe.
My new student is 17 years old and very sweet and polite.
If I was 17 through to around 25 I would be in love – beyond 25 I’d be arrested…;-) – She’s absolutely gorgeous and, a child of today I suppose.
Off we went on her very first ever driving lesson.
After a few minutes of familiarising her with the controls of the car etc etc – well about 20 minutes actually – unlike most driving instructors who use the entire first lesson of an hour to do that and rip kids off – I sat her behind the wheel and said “Let’s drive!”
After seeing her briefly crapping herself I explained I would be in control – with my dual controls – and all she had to do was steer and go ‘on the gas’ or ‘off the gas’ as I instructed her too – also I would grab the steering wheel to avoid seeing any slow moving, sad faced old gentlemen bounce off the hood of my car along with controlling the clutch and brake.
I used my standard line on a novice student of “Do exactly as I say or we are going to die”….this seems to have the desired effect.
No sooner had we got close to Hayes Town, where I somewhat reluctantly live, than my shock began.
“Look at all these fucking muzzies” said my sweet 17 year old as we drove along at a sedate 20 miles per hour.
“Er…sorry?” said Dinners in a surprised tone of voice.
“I fucking hate them!” said this blond, blue eyed beautiful child.
“Why?” I found myself asking in a genuinely bemused tone…….my daughter is nearly 21 and of her own generation therefore looks on England differently to me – which is probably no bad thing. Jacqui has friends of all races, creeds and colours (so have I actually) but she also has many friends who are muslim and it’s never seemed to be a problem for her.
“The bastards are invading our country and I fucking hate them!” said this angelic 17 year old girl.
“Right!” said Dinners – going into Alpha Male mode, “pull over on the left.”…and assisted her by holding the steering wheel and helping her pull over without knocking ten bells of shit out of my tyres.
I looked at the future sitting in my drivers seat and thought quite seriously ‘what the fuck have we done?’
“Why do you hate people you don’t even know?” I asked – realising that this wasn’t exactly part of the driving lesson but she was paying me so who cares?
“They are scum and they hate us and they want to kill us” replied my little angel.
“What makes you think that?” I asked – feeling slightly guilty about my innermost feelings on this topic.
“My dad says so and he never lies” said Blondie.
I may well be a lost cause…I almost certainly am…I do believe my country is going to hell in a hand basket but at 17????????
Jesus H fucking Christ!!!
What have we done???????
I will attempt to ‘not be me’ in future lessons.
That’s all I can promise.
17 year olds should never be old enough to hold such views and feelings of hate.
I am feeling a wee bit ashamed right now.
A 17 year old feels like I sometimes do but she hasn’t even thought about it.
In her eyes it just ‘IS’.
No it isn’t babe. No it isn’t.
Please become more than I can ever become – more than people of my age would ever know how to become.
Nobody should be me when they’re only 17.
Nite America and God/Allah/Buddah/SOMEBODY help us eh?
Stimpson
September 2, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I suppose the right response to “My dad says so and he never lies” is to say that he could be mistaken, couldn’t he? And, of course, to point out that all the Muslims of the world don’t feel exactly the same way about everything, just as all the Xtians of the world don’t feel exactly the same way. There’s variety in every faith group.
But then, caught in a moment like the one you describe, I don’t know if I would think fast enough to respond that way. There are times that I am caught so off-guard by a surprising comment that I simply have no good response at that moment.
Here’s the ray of hope: Your young student may broaden her horizons and, in the process, encounter Muslims who wholly contradict the worldview she has adopted from dear old dad. I hope she does.
greenlight
September 2, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Hatred is bad enough, blind hatred is even worse.
Probably the most important thing that any of us can do for society is to get those within our sphere of influence to ask deeper questions of their world, to think critically on issues and not simply accept that how things are = how things should be.
Well, that, and to teach them to stay on the right side of the road.
I suspect you will have a grander influence than I will in at least one of these areas, and quite possibly both.
Thanks for posting this.
fourdinners
September 2, 2010 at 6:22 pm
So do I mate…so do I dearly…nobody can be me at 17…that’s just wrong on so many levels.
fourdinners
September 2, 2010 at 6:24 pm
If nowt else wakes me up Greeny this has. I can’t believe what I heard today. From me maybe but from a 17 year old kid??????
I need to sleep on this so badly.
Nite peeps
Holte Ender
September 2, 2010 at 6:26 pm
No doubt she is repeating what she has heard from people of, well, your age, as Stimpson said, probably her dad, nobody is born hating, that has to be learned. Just like with the Muslim fundamentalists, they are taught to hate the West before they know what the West is.
Only 52 years-old, I can barely remember being 52.
fourdinners
September 2, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Personally I can’t remember anything of any importance from around ’78 to ’85….it must nave been fun though…;-)
Oh allright…Rosie from Wwedt Ham and Tina from Chessington et al…
After todays ‘shock’ I feel like going back to vodka and dope to just shit it all out.
17 Holty!!! 17 and she says this shit????
What the fuck are we becoming???????
Thank you Jacqui oh daughter of mine for being more than I could ever be.
I am so happy in this vocation -uh- vocation? – Bloody hell I am happy….Somalians, Greeks, Pakistani’s, Indians, Ukranians….all are my students and I’m actually growing at 52 because they are mine.
Holty…I know I’m a bit of a loose cannon but at 17?????
I can’t recall being upset before in my life…
Angry yes. Ecstatic yes. Bored yes.
Any superlative you like but ‘upset’? Not until today old bean. Not until today.
What can I do? I really want to know. This kid is one of so many. Can we change it?
Knackered. Bed. Nite
Jess
September 2, 2010 at 7:12 pm
She’s 17 so I guess she hasn’t done the college thing and had her world view expanded upon. This type of behavior is learned, we don’t come out of the womb hating anyone, she’s young and will hopefully unlearn as her world expands around her. Life is way too short for anyone to be hateful, no matter what the age.
Joe Hagstrom
September 2, 2010 at 8:25 pm
In a twisted way I’m almost glad the USA doesn’t have a monopoly on kooks.
And this reminds me of what happened at work today. One of our vendors came in who is a die hard republican. Real idiot. My boss said he told her that Obama was a Muslim. The shithead had a “Mitt12″ sticker on his truck further reienforcing the fact that he is an idiot. So he goes into the office which is adjacent to my lab. That’s when I started doing faux Muslim chants. Mostly jibberish with a loud “Allah Akbar!” interspersed every few moments. Then I grabbed a big piece of wrapping paper for using as a prayer rug and went into the office and asked the females to leave because I had to do my midday prayers. I also asked the idiot if he was offended by women that shamed themselves before Allah by not covering theirt heads. I thought I really had this shithead until he replied that they should at least wear head covering in church like when he was a young Catholic.
I had no response so I told him he’d have to leave the office to because infidels aren’t allowed to witness prayers to the One God.
They left and I sat on my ass listening to the radio until the other boss came in and told me to quit jacking off and get back to work.
Mother Hen
September 2, 2010 at 8:53 pm
LOL Joe. Did you jack off facing Mecca?
Pingback: Tweets that mention Children Of The Damned -- Topsy.com
Joe Hagstrom
September 2, 2010 at 9:52 pm
We have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in regards to jacking off at work Mother Hen.
Urban Pink
September 2, 2010 at 11:29 pm
I’m English, grew up in a small town, always loved black people (my comrads didn’t) but hated gay people at 17. Now I adamantly support gay marriage (this transformation happened in college). Her words are very young, naive, and stupid. Maybe her passion for hate will transform into justice.
Demeur
September 3, 2010 at 12:26 am
Where’s Randal Graves when we need him? He hates everybody.
Now get the hell off my lawn you kids!
A Michael J. Scott
September 3, 2010 at 11:26 am
Great post Dinners!~