Source: The Washington Post Copyright: 1998 The Washington Post Company Pubdate: 25 Dec 1998, Christmas Day Page: B18 Columnist: Ann Landers, Creators Syndicate Inc Mail: Ann Landers, P.O. Box 11562, Chicago, IL, 60611-0562 Note: While this is from the WP, Ann Landers column appears in many newspapers. Subject line by MAP. Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n721/a06.html ANN LANDERS Dear Readers: In 1955, the year I began writing this column, I wrote an essay for Christmas Day. Reader response was extremely rewarding, and I have reprinted it each year, with topical modifications. This is my Christmas message for 1998: Dear Readers: Today is Christmas. What has happened to peace on Earth, goodwill toward men? In many parts of the world, there is no peace, and in the hearts of many men, there is nothing that could pass for goodwill. Our youth insist that we are poisoning the environment, and they are right. They resent living in a world they didn't make, and who can blame them? But what generation ever made the world it had to live in? Although our universities are once again places of higher learning, racism abounds on many campuses. Prejudice against minorities is on the increase, and I fear it's going to get worse before it gets better. Unfortunately, the "war on drugs" has turned out to be a colossal failure. The increase in the number of homicides is staggering, and most of it is drug-related. Guns and knives are standard equipment among teenagers. It is not uncommon for a teenager to get shot or stabbed for his jacket or his shoes. Metal detectors in schools help some, but not enough. While alcohol is still the most abused drug of all, marijuana and stronger substances like crack cocaine are commonplace in junior and senior high schools. The dropout rate is appalling. Why should a kid stay in school when he can get rich dealing drugs? This is the message too many young people are getting. Suicide is the second most frequent cause of death in this country among teenagers ages 15 to 19. (The first is accidents.) Every 100 minutes, a young person under 24 in America will kill himself. Over the past 35 years, the youth suicide rate has tripled. More bad news is that venereal disease is epidemic, not to mention AIDS, for which there is no vaccine and no cure, although new drugs are providing hope. We are becoming increasingly desensitized to filthy language, garbage "art" and rotten stuff on TV. Violence, bigotry and talking dirty must be tolerated, we are told, because we dare not endanger "freedom of speech." I am firmly against censorship, but where is the moral outrage against all the filth? It's almost impossible to find a family movie these days. What has happened to plain, everyday decency? Because this is an advice column, I spend the greater part of every day with grief and trouble. I am adored by some, despised by others, chastised, castigated and dumped on. Does it depress me? No, it does not. After 43 years, I still find writing this column immensely rewarding. I realize that many people who write to me don't want advice. They just need someone who will listen. My column has provided me with an opportunity to shine a spotlight on ignorance and fear, comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. I am well aware that mine is an enormous responsibility, and I try hard, 365 days a year, never to let you down. You, dear readers, are my friends. You invite me into your homes, and often, we have breakfast together. I want to be there for you when you need me. So, if you feel the need to unburden yourself, blow your top, register a gripe or tell me off, I'm as close as your mailbox. God bless you all. Pray for good health and an open heart so you can love your neighbor, even though he or she may not be lovable. I hope 1999 will be your best year ever. Ann Landers - --- Checked-by: Richard Lake