, 1925-01-31
The Reckless Age

There is hardly a day that we do not hear the question
asked, What is the matter with the young people of today"
There is no reason why such a question should not be interest
ing to the parents of the community, the churches and public
officials.
most abrupt. change of world affairs that the human race has
ever known. In an age of rapid scientific and commercial prog
ress there is always a crime wave. Why? Because people are
so INDUCED in financial private interests that they do not
have time to stop and think about life and it's problems.
Life is always the most perplexing to youth because 1t
lacks exp len "a and a laes Of experience Sa",h me- usually nm causes in
natural problems of life but it must also face the sweeping
that the three big causes Of youthful crime and reckless living
are-First, the present unsettled conditions of the world as a
les (big money programs); and third, the natural and instinc-
tive failings of youth throughout all of the ages. Which is the
most dangerous enemy? Which is the most to blame? In the
years gone by youth gradually conquered its natural and in
and precaution it will conquer the unsettled conditions that
accompany rapid and extreme worldly progress. Butt is said
that the youth of today is not precautions and lacks the judg-
ment necessary to conquer these problems. Then whose fault is
it ? Flimsy knowledge of young people and lack of preparation
There is no question that experience is a splendid teacher,
but, youth is handicapped by the absence of this faculty. There
is but one other way of preparation and that is by obtaining
knowledge or by education.
knowledge alone is insufficient, because first, it is one
of the most dangerous possessions one may retain; and second,
if youth is to rely on the knowledge it selects it can only take
perience. If youth lacks experience, then it lacks half of the
We cannot deny that the only ones who may substitute
that shortcoming-ar our parents. They have lived the past,
life that have always Travelled with timei They have learned
the lessons that only experience can teach. If the world is pro
crossing, why not save the rising generation the grief and pain
of unfortunate and sometimes fatal results of augmentation?
Parents are endowed with the two great essentials of complete
education: knowledge and experience. Is it not reasonable that
they should be our best advisors? 1t is the duty of parents to
inform youth and not criticise it and antagonize it with
"don'ts." The greatest thing that a parent can do is to sym
pathize and comfort youth when it is in trouble
Young people are not as simple as they sometimes appear.
They know that the problems of life once bafned parents, and
worst of all, they see that parents today are falling as fast
as the young people. Parents do not set good examples for their
boys and girls. They are cold and Indifferent and saddest of
all they are critical when they should be considerate. They
criticise and ridicule reforms and progressive movements. They
are pessimistic and alt~ogether-sour on the world. Then why
shouldn't youth do the same, when old age is its only guide,
and today-the poorest.
1t seems inconsistent to young people in Casper who are
trying to uphold the principles of the Christian religion, that
our city fathers should vote thousands of dollars to find ven
ereal diseases and dismiss them TO live and carry on their ne
farlous profession in the city. And at the same time the city
fathers arc crticising the lawlessness and irreverence of the
young people, and yet how much money is being spent for
clean amusement and recreation in the city. We are criticized
If we attend dances, shows, that some deem immoral and i'm
proper for us to see and we are considered feather Drained
If we openly enjoy ourselves for an evening, drifting out on
the highways in cars without a chaperone. But, we earnestly
ask-what else is there for us to doy Name for us any amuse-
ment or recreation aside from dancing, theater going, car rid
ing (by moonlight, and the like, in Casper.
Again we are puzzled when we hear rumors of a mani
moth Community Building to be erected here, and only three
church edificcs in the city and one of these is still under CON
struction.