blamed for their "to ta l lack o f interest” in the physical, moral or spiritual welfare o f their children. The fathers were too busy at their places o f business, their clubs or social and recreational haunts. Apparently they could not care less about what their own children were doing— until their names appeared on the books as law breakers. Then the fathers and the parents became enraged at their children for bringing disgrace upon the fam ily name. The seriousness o f the situation is pointed up by the fact that youngsters between the ages o f 13 and 1 6 are apprehended in more crimes than any other age group. Some time ago there appeared an editorial in the San Francisco Examiner, entitled "T h e Appall ing Erosion o f Moral Standards.” The author asked the question "W h a t has happened to our national morals?” He then described conditions that called forth the editorial. "A n educator speaks out in favor o f free love. A man o f God condones sexual excursions by unmarried adults. Movies sell sex as a commercial commodity. Bookstores and cigarstands peddle pornography. A high court labels yesterday’s smut as today’s literature. Record shops feature albums displaying nudes and near-nudes. N igh t clubs stage shows that would have shocked a smoker audience a generation ago. T V shows and commercials pour out a flood o f sick, sadistic and sug gestive sex situations. A campaign is launched to bring acceptance to homosexuality. Radio broadcasts present discussions for and against promiscuity. Magazines and newspapers publish pictures and articles that flagrantly violate the bounds o f good taste. Four- letter words once heard only in barroom brawls now appear in publications for general distribution. Birth control counsel is urged for high school girls. These things are happening in your America. In the two decades since W orld W ar II we have seen our national standards or morality lowered again and again. W e have seen a steady erosion o f past principles o f decency and good taste, and we have harvested a whirlwind. A s our standards have low ered, our crime levels and social problems have increased. Study the statistics on illegitimate births, on broken marriages, on juve nile crimes, on school dropouts, on sex deviation, on dope addic tion, on high school marriages, on crimes o f passion. The figures are higher than ever, and are going still higher.” O f course, it is true that these conditions prevail because o f the changes that have taken place in recent years in the judicial deci sions handed down by the judges o f our land, starting with the Supreme Court. "T h is nation which was founded on the demo cratic concept o f majority rule, now denies the positive rights o f the many in order to protect the negative rights o f a few .” But we cannot level all o f the blame upon the judiciary. In the final analysis, it is the home that must assume the greatest degree o f responsibility for these conditions. The home has broken down in large measure because the father and husband has not taken his proper place o f leadership in the fam ily life. H is disciplinary authority has been abrogated by him, and instead, has been dele gated to the w ife and mother or to no one. H e goes merrily on Continued on p. 2U
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