"It is wickedness, to whip a child and also force him not to cry." - Traditional Proverb
When William J. Bennett compiled the Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, a statistical portrait of America, see his findings: since 1960, while the gross domestic product has nearly tripled, violent crime has increased at least 560%. Divorces have more than doubled. The percentage of children in single-parent homes had tripled. By the end of the decade 40% of all American births and 80% of minority births will occur out of wedlock. These are not good things to get used to. In 1940 teachers identified the top problems in America's schools as: Talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise and running in the hall. In 1990, teachers listed drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, suicide, rape and assault. These are not good things to get used to, either.
There is a coarseness, a callousness and a cynicism to our era. The worst of it has to do with our children - the supposed "generationext." Our culture seems almost dedicated
