Pubdate: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 Source: Bradenton Herald (FL) Copyright: 2004 Bradenton Herald Contact: http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradentonherald/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/58 Author: Patrick F. Caruso Note: Patrick F. Caruso of Cortez and Verona, N.J., is a retired school administrator and freelance writer DON'T BLAME KIDS FOR DECADENCE For years our nation's youth have been the target of adult criticism. They have been charged with lack of respect for their elders, disregard for all levels of authority, sexual promiscuity, drug abuse, disorderly conduct, criminal behavior, etc. The evidence is clear and the complaints justified - - at least for some. However, let's examine the forces at play. Society's expectation of behavior has changed since World War II. The aberrations of our treasured traditions and mores, caused by a variety of social forces, accrued from generation to generation. Today's youth should not be held accountable for the deviation from society's standards caused years ago by their predecessors; our young people merely inherited the results of past generations - they did not cause them. Prior to the birth of our teenagers, we witnessed a growing apathy to time-honored scruples. We observed an abasement of moral values. We saw the advent of the "me" or "numero uno" attitude promoted by psychologists, which led to the lessening regard for others. We suffered the demise of the traditional family unit as the nucleus of society. We condoned Hollywood's bombardment of filth upon the public and television's invasion of undignified programs contaminating the sanctity of our homes. We were led by the hand to glorify, or at least accept, homosexuality, "two Mommas" or two Poppas." We lived through the Supreme Court's degradation of life at conception. We were stunned when they expelled God from our public schools - yet they distribute condoms to our students. We were victimized by the infiltration of ultra-liberal teaching in our institutions of higher learning brainwashing our youths. We failed to preserve the image of professional athletes and public figures as role models to our youths. We surrendered the merits of self-discipline and pride in one's work performance. We suffered the merits of self-discipline and pride in one's work performance. We suffered from the tarnished status of our frayed court system. We were shocked by the scandalous behavior of elected officials in high places, compromising character for sex and favors. We were disturbed by the failure of some occupants of the White House to exemplify virtuous values of demeanor. We permitted sexuality to supercede spirituality, yielding to permissiveness. We relinquished patriotism as a fashionable virtue. Our taste for music became disenfranchised by the mutation of the heretofore peaceful, melodious and harmonious love songs and ballads which were reduced to boisterous, unintelligible shouting accompanied by piercing metallic cacophony replete with demonic overtones orchestrated by Satan himself. Consequently, this is the legacy handed down to our youths: a tarnished, corrupt, scandal-filled, godless society void of meaningful objectives. They have no confidence or credibility in those who rule us. Our youth are greeted by the condoning of immorality, higher taxes and a fruitless Social Security system to which they are compelled to contribute, but will fail to reap its benefits when they become eligible. Thus, they view their future with mixed signals ill-defined modes of behavior, bewilderment and abandonment. They live from one headline crisis to the next - and they contributed to it. My generation survived the nation's worst depression only to be thrust into the world's worst war. At that time, I felt we were shortchanged in life. In retrospect, our ordeal was a piece of cake compared to what the present generation has to face. Let's not blame the kids. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman