Imperial Valley press., 1941-09-07

Today a letter to the editor becomes
our editorial. 1t IS a letter written by
woman in FL Centro, herself a mother.
It's sentiments so wholly agree with our
own that we offer it with our unreserved
approval. Its text follows:
In an editorial July Is, 1910. you wrote,
"There are three duties devOlving upon
a newspaper-that of reminding people
that there are other factors to consider
than just what may appear on the sur
face, that of giving our readers our best
opinion (poOr as It may be-, ana that OF
stimulating public consciousness.
Then, Just before that on July l5,
1940 you wrote under the caption. Lets
Have More Public Expression" that You
wished more folks in Imperial Valley
would send you letters along lines OF cur
rent interest-that you would find room
to print them.
Last nights editorial, Don't Point
Criticism at Somebody Else may cover
sufficient ground at this time, but l feel
that a reading-again Of several of your
editorials during past months would
help impress upon all parents their re-
sponsibility. 1t is true, as you suggest,
that the community has q responsibility,
but the parents have the greatest one and
if they did ALL THEIR DUTY. would
the community have to assume It?
On August %. 1941, on the front page
of the Press, we read, Boy. 13. ConfeSses
Burglaries Here On August 29, 1871,
also on the front page: IL BurglaIies,
Many Petty Thefts, Other Misdemeanors
Cleared Up With Disciplinary Action
against Three Boys" The story adds.
"officials said number of other boys
were connected with one or all
Sept. /, 1871, front page: Second
Juvenile Gang Broken Up . twenty
boys involved =. and IN the county
jail -.
What I wish to bring to the attention
Of our parents again are excerpts from
the following editorials:
August l9, 1941: "Undisciplined men
grow from undisciplined Children Ward
en- Johnson of Alcatraz prison told
group this week. Crime can be stopped
if the process is begun at the cradle
he declared 1t has been demonstrated
time and again that society can do moth
ing that all outside forces ara helpless
where parents go about their job unWise
~ or do not accept the responsibility at
all The woman who spends more
effort learning to play bridge than study
ing care or discipline Of her child, and
the father who regards the child as mere
ly part of the home furnishings to be
taken for granted, are among the COM
mOneSU enemies OF society
On Nov. 10, 1910, supervised play
ground was opened in El Centro, and on
Nov 26, 1910, we read editorially: The
parents who use the program as an eX-
cuse to shrug off their own responsible
ties will be doing the program, them
selves and their children a great disserv-
ice. For no supervision playground, how
ever extensive, can take the place of par
entail discipline and training among chill
dren g. :. the child whose home environ
ment encourages delinquency Will be lit
tie better off because Of a better environ
ment outside his home
August ?, 1910, commenting on the
above proposed project, you said: THAT
this is necessary is mass Indictment Of
Ell Centro's parents, those upon whom
should rest the greatest responsibility for
keeping children out of trouble :. The
schools take care Of them nine months
out Of the year. Now We must devise a
way by which the parents can escape
their responsibility the other three
months . If four out OF a group Of
ten parents fail to assume their respons-
ibility toward their Youngsters. the chill
dren Of the four will menace the charac-