hmmm...wow. after reading this, all i can say is that i am a complete and total hypocrite.
as a parent, you know your kid is going to cross some imaginary line that you have. you know they're going to get themselves in trouble. i guess the line is just different for all of us.
for those that aren't parents yet, the thing i didn't understand as a kid was this: it wasn't that my parents were mean, uptight, stupid. i wasn't in trouble b/c i had broken the rules, been disrespectful, or rude. i was in trouble b/c they wanted me to be safe and happy. that's it. right or wrong, their rules were put in place for that reason...safe and happy...nothing more complicated or nefarious.