So, Carmel's Palladium will be opening very soon...lots of advertising, lots of fanfare. A very expensive endeavor for this small town. It's opening downtown, in the midst of quite a few empty retail/office spaces...ones that are high- rent. Also, hard -to- rent from what I can tell driving by.
The schools are rife with teachers and leaders who are being sited for inappropriate behavior with students. Let's face it, there's at least one case a year, sometimes several cases in the past few years. It's not an anomaly and one case is one case too many!
There are student issues that go beyond name-calling or a "little innocent" hazing (not really sure what the "innocent hazing" would look like)...in fact, some of the student behavior is sick and twisted, not simply a matter of "going a bit to far"...but sick, twisted actions by mere children. This had to be learned somewhere by someone else, makes one wonder?
The grown ups appear to be anything but. Some rationalize and defend poor behavior of their children and indulge themselves in it at times. Principals and Superintendent's give "sound bites" that I suppose are meant to be neutral and placate the "wounded" public, but end up being fluff and full of nothing substantive. Prosecutors and law enforcement appear weak and unable to make clear statements/decisions with conviction.
Sure there are new round-a-bouts (even celebration events to mark there newly finished "look") and tee shirts that say, "Rome, Paris, Carmel", and some very beautiful buildings. But what is the substance beneath the facade? There is a high number of growing uninsured, medicaid and immigrant populations...all very much "behind the scenes" of what is advertised and presented to the outer world. One of the biggest disconnects I can imagine.
There's a philosopher who said something like, "The culture is in decline when the elders are not present, adults are confused and children are violent"...this seems to be such a fit!
Do I hate Carmel? NO! Do I think it is a very present, close by example of how our country has progressed and how we are reaping what we have sown, I do. It's sad to watch, but it's a lesson for me to...what is my focus? Substance vs. Style? Do I feel comfortable when everything "appears to be good" even if underneath it is all crumbling? A lot to think about...
