80s sitcoms, some things never change

I have recently been indulging myself in getting 80s sitcoms from Netflix. When it is winter in Chicago and you don't want to be outside, dvd's are great. I started with Season 1 and 2 of Sports Night which was late 90s. Then I took a step back further and chose Doogie Howser MD.
Doogie's first season was Fall 1989. At the end of Season 1, May 1990 there was a moving episode. I did not cry back then (I hope not) but I cry now. I cry now due to the circumstances of the episode and how nothing has changed in 20 years. What was the episode about you ask ?
Well sit right back and hear a tale.

Vinnie Delpino, Doogie's best friend, was working at a mini mart and Doogie came in to say Hi.
Then a robber came in. He was dressed in all black, black hat, black shades. The robber was a 16 yr old black kid from Compton. After a series of unfortunate events and then a series of conversations in the mini mart, Doogie and Vinnie begin to bond with the kid. In the end, Doogie and Vinnie walk out unhurt (physically, but the emotional damage and lesson was great) and the Kid strikes a deal to be tried as a juvey.

The 16 yr old talked about his upbringing in Compton and the bars on his house, the gang he had to be in to avoid getting beat up on the way to school and his little brother that got shot in a drive by while eating an ice cream cone (thats when the tears started).
Doogie offers to help him get a job as an orderly at the hospital. Aaahhh !

This episode is sad because .... this scenario still exist 20 years later.

Areas of Compton, South side of Chicago, New Orleans, New York, Atlanta ... still exist today.
Drive bys, gangs, robberies.
If anything it may be a little worse now because now we have more immigrants today from Mexico. We may have more hispanic gangs with the gangs back then.

I know I can not relate to minorities, but all I can relate to them is history. Through out the history of our country immigrants come over to our country as minorities in ethnicity.
They do not have a lot of money but they have to have determination and discipline to work hard. To work hard to make a name for themselves, to create better opportunities for future generations. They work hard so their kids do not repeat the same cycles as them, so their kids can go to high school, college, start their own business', be successful.

If EVERY parent instilled this into their kids, maybe teens would not have to find solice in gangs outside the home to fill a void in their home lives. Parents be parents and don't let the streets raise your kids. Parents of all incomes, start demanding more from public school systems and
make your children do well to become something great ! Walk them to school, help them with homework, respect their teachers and let them teach your kids. Don't boggle down schools with paperwork of unnecessary law suits, worries and stress. Let them teach and unlock the kids potential. That may be a good place to start to make a better street and a better America.


As I sit and type today, I hear the Doogie Howser theme song in my head. And think how blessed we are to develop our country from personal journals in DOS format on the blue screen to internet blogs to share with our friends. God Bless America ! And may all Americans realize the opportunities they have to make something great of themselves and do it.