Evening star., 1935-06-12
Valid Basis
For Rights
!: IsEssential
Foolish Desire Must
Be Banished in
Child's Life.
BY ANGELO PATRT.

DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS: You
II sometimes have a queer notion
that whatever a groWn-up person
does YOU have the right to do. Ii
YOUR mother uses lipstick you have
the right to do so. Ii Aunt Helen
smokes YOU, too, can smoke. You
have a right to if she does. For
example, Mrs. Howdy's children
can stay out as long as, they like,
so YOU have the right to stay out
as long as you like also, and your
mother is old fashioned Ia dread
ful charge), and no sport Ga worse
charge), IN your notion of things.
Now Just think this over. What
do YOU mean by right? What
another Lerson, one whose life and
behavior is far different from
YOURS, does becomes lawful and
right for YOU to do because that
person did it? Would it be right
for YOU to lie and steal and kill
because another did SO? No? Then
YOU choose which action of an
others is right for you? And you
pick on those you would like most
to do? Then it is not right that
bothers you. is it? 1t is desire and
appetite and ambition t. be grown
ups and approved as such, isn't it?
Or do YOU mean you have right
under the law? Impossible. The
law, if there were one. would not
grant a child the privileges of age
and maturity because they would
not be helpful to him in the least.
A child can no more adopt the
habits of an older person than he
can adopt his clothes. Neither fit.
That is the secret of the whole
business. 1t is not fitting that a
child do what a grOWn-up person
does because a groWn-up person
does it. There must be a better
reason than that. The action must
belong to the child himself or it
Will be just an initiative action,
uniting. and possibly harmful.
Take smoking
"A grown-up person smokes to
rest his weary nerves. Whoever
hears of child with weary nerves?
A healthy child should not need
or have sedativeS. If child needs
them he is i'll and should have the
attention of good physician. A
Young persons nerves are alert,
Keen. quick to register passing i'm
pfessions, feelings and responses.
That nervous power is the essence
of youth, and any young person
who lessons it by the slightest de-
gree cheats himself out of riches
untold, out of power that should
be his in days to come.
"a young girl has the color and
sparkle of youth. Her lips are
brightly colored, the right shade
for her skin and hair. Nature
knows best every time. What is a
beautician but an Imitator of ma
tqre? As age creeps upon wom-
an her color fades, the light leaves
her eyes, the pink fades from her
cheeks. The rouge and the lip
stick are her effort to hold to the
waning beauty of youth. She is
initiating, and poorly, the glory of
grlhood. The girl who paints her
face and rouges her lips and does
things to her eyes initiates the imi-
tStion of herself. If that is not too
silly l don't know what Stiffness
il, and think l have seen enough
of it to be well acquainted.
fChildren have rights They have
the right to health, to good homes.
to the best education, to affection
ahd protection. But these rights
to foolishness do not exist. You
are using the wrong word, chill !
dren. 1t ought to be wants"
Rights are different. will defend
your rights as long as l live, but |
your wants-Well. l will look at |
them with a cool and far-seeing
eye. Cordially yours,
ANGELO PATRI.