"According to a poll conducted by this student, over a wide span of ages, it was found that the older people would not commit crimes or fraud because it was 'wrong' or 'morally incorrect'. Those of the younger generation stated that 'I would have to think about it' and 'it depends on the consequences'. This in itself illustrates the point that responsible behavior resulting from good morals has somehow declined." Michelle R. Gannon, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
*The Harry Singer Foundation (HSF) has the results of several 1994 polls of teenagers on related subjects which we would be happy to share with interested parties. The first is related to the answers to questions 7 and 9 in the 1993-94 Essay Contest concerning responsibility; the contest that produced the excerpts for this and two other HSF books.
7- What would you do if you found a large sum of money? What would your teacher and classmates likely say or do if you told them about your find?
9- List five likely attributes of the successful role model of the 1950s. List five likely attributes of the successful role model of the 1990s."
From the HSF workbook for social studies departments:
13- Show the process a person with moral principles might go through in deciding if he/she should rob a bank? Write down the questions that might be considered. 14- Go through the same exercise with a person who has discarded moral principles. What might this person consider?
15- By secret ballot determine how many members of the class have cheated between one to five times at anything. How many have cheated more than five times? Never cheated? How many think it is ok to cheat sometimes? Write down the resulting four numbers. Now write down the kinds of things where it is ok to cheat, providing you believe there are any.
*In their excerpts below, Josh and Kara assure us that all is not lost in the 90's:
"Jim Brinkerhoff of western Iowa, found a bag of money containing $1,500 ...and decided to return it because his conscience would not let him keep it." Josh Johnson, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
"There was a robbery a few years back in a small town. The thief was running out of the bank, and dropped his bag of money. The money went all over the place. All of the money, which was in denominations of twenty dollar bills, was returned except for one twenty dollar bill. Just that one example proves that some people do take the responsibility of being a citizen and carry out all of the duties that go with it." Kara Babrowski, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
*The marriage contract:
"Today it is a surprise to hear of a couple celebrating their twenty- fifth wedding anniversary. Fifty years ago it was a shock to hear of someone getting a divorce." Christie Brady, Eureka High, Eureka, Illinois
"People should realize that a ruined marriage is not only hurting the children, but our whole country in the long run." Carissa Becker, Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota
"As the children get older they see their parents argue and eventually divorce. Caught in the middle of World War III, the child has to listen as each parent blames the failed marriage on the other. They aren't even responsible enough to make an honest commitment to the person they married."Heather Stearns, Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois
"With a 50 percent divorce rate, children are forced to live with one parent, usually the mother. This means many children grow up without a father, and for boys the crucial issue is a role model." Carmen Knuppe, New Underwood High School, New Underwood, South Dakota
"The definition of family has changed. Fewer children grow up in two parent homes, while many are being raised by grandparents or other family members." Amy Deehr, Freeman High School, Rockford, Washington
"Many people also are no longer keeping their vows, and therefore, single-parent families are on the rise. Child-care facilities and the Head Start program are trying to take the place of one or sometimes even both the parents. The results of these changes have been mostly devastating. Ð People are going to have to start facing the problem head-on, and come up with a reasonable solution. If it means going back to the ways of the 50's in which mom stays home and dad works, then so be it. Families may be poorer, and many women will complain, but it worked once and people were happy so why not try it again." Kevin Brown, Concordia High School, Concordia, Kansas
*We think Kevin might like to hear about a new support group in Spokane, Washington for "today's working-at-home woman." We extrapolate from the flyer that we received recently from Melissa, founder of the Homemakers of the 90's Club :
Most homemakers today are overworked and under-valued. Although not often recognized by society, a homemaker could be described as a care- taker, nurse, housekeeper, gardener, taxi driver; psychologist, accountant, teacher, judge, jury, chef, seamstress and handyperson. Homemakers are really the foundation of the family, but once the husband and kids have left for the day, they may begin to feel alone and unimportant. At the Homemakers' Club they get to spend a little time each week with other 'professionals' in their field....At the local weekly meetings they share experiences and ideas concerning craft projects, recipes, parenting strategies, spousal relationships, gardening tips and information about issues directly affecting their profession.
When most working women head off to their jobs every day, they are immediately surrounded by others who share the same work experiences and can offer them peer support. Shouldn't those who have chosen homemaking as a way to contribute, also be able to experience a network of support?
"Parents have lost their power to parent. It has not always been this way. Parents once thought that it was their moral obligation to take care of, discipline, and take responsibility for their children. The community expected this of the parents. These children knew that their parents would not tolerate their behavior and they did obey them. There is no longer a connection between the family and their community such as these." Carie Mitchell, Camden High School, Camden, Tennessee
"First-born kids are thrown into a life where they are the main role model for their brothers and sisters and since their parents are not around enough, they must also work through any problems which may come up. There may have been a small number of kids in our parents' generation who (found themselves) in a situation much like the one I have described, but in today's society, single parents and families which have both parents working full-time are more abundant than ever before." Benjamin E. Debiec, Antietam High School, Reading, Pennsylvania
*Prioritize!