What must Martin Sheen think of his wayward son Charlie Sheen and his latest misadventures?

Not a lot I suspect. The deeply political and compassionate elder Sheen, whose mother came from Tipperary, has always tried to stay a long way away from trouble and to make the world better for everyone, especially the underdog.

He recently even went back to college in Ireland in order to improve himself. If you were to think of a responsible Hollywood citizen it would be Martin Sheen, not unlike the president he played in that famous series -- you know the one.

No doubt he has great compassion for his son too, but at 44 Charlie's latest encounters with the law are not the stuff of adolescent scrapes. This is a grown man, with kids who is threatening his wife and having his car stolen and crashed in strange circumstances .

He has his father's acting ability but none of his passion for public service and trying to do the right thing. That particular gene did not get passed along .

Martin Sheen will not be the last father to have a troublesome child but when that child is fast approaching middle age and still misbehaving then it gets a lot tougher to excuse.

Not that Charlie Sheen is a write off. He has a genuine talent and a commitment to hard work. It is his private life he needs to get sorted.

He might start by having that heart to heart with his Dad on how to act with class on and off the screen.