It's Not Just Colorado Parent's Who Suck!

I am so sick and tired of parents who don't do their job. I'm talking fucking parenting here!
Yes, I'm just as guilty.
My children are all grown and (near by)gone. But when they were home, it was always easier to just give in instead of arguing or just taking the time to parent.
I live in Denver Colorado. The thing that sent me over the edge and put me into a rage is this. We have snow and freezing temperatures much of the winter. When I'm out shopping I constantly see teens, and all the way to their parents ages dressed in flip flops, shorts and tees! It's fucking freezing!
If the parents don't have good judgement, they shouldn't be having children. Of course the lack of good judgement is probably why they do have children.
It's not just that. I'm constantly hearing "I don't want to be mean"! "So I let my daughter dress like a SLUT and I let my son play video games eight hours a day. Plus, since I'm a lazy parent, I'm going to reward them with cell phones, personal computers, games, clothing they will probably wear once and rarely sit down with them at the dinner table with a meal I've actually cooked myself"!
When our family was all living at home, my kids constantly had friends over. I made my family a home cooked meal and we were usually sitting down together to eat. I always invited any extras to stay for dinner. These were all good kids. But I don't remember one time a kid not saying "we never do this at our house"! Most of them ate things like mac and cheese dinners, frozen pizza, hot pockets and take out.
They loved to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with us. They loved that we used "real" napkins. They loved it that the kids asked to be excused, and then put their dishes in the dishwasher.
My daughters friends would ask me questions they wouldn't ask their own mothers. I knew one mother in particular who didn't tell her own daughter about her period when it started. She left it up to the older sister.
We've been "empty Nester's" since 2002, so it hasn't been that long.
Very few of us are doing our duty as parents. Kids want to be part of a close loving family. They not only need, but want boundaries. Our "first" job is to raise healthy, happy, well adjusted young adults.
You don't have to be mean. Going overboard with punishment would be mean. I'll use my sister as a good example. When her six year old son starts acting up or doesn't want to eat his dinner, she simply reminds him that there's something he's been planing to do, like a play date with a friend or playing a video game for an hour on the weekend and he usually complies immediately. He knows she "means" what she says.
We are all slackers when it comes to doing this job. Just open your eyes people. It's not too late to do the right thing!