A very encouraging public opinion poll was taken recently at the annual convention of the Catholic Youth Organization, attended by 7,000 young people at the Hilton Hotel in New York City. The modern teenager, understandably bewildered by the peccadillos of playboys and people in high places such as John Profumo and Bobby Baker and Richard Burton...is still convinced he can conquer the world of tomorrow. “People in high places go haywire,” said Roseanne Gargan of Denver. “Some of these people,” she went on to say. “adopt the lowest moral standard. Somehow, for a while at least, a kid’s ideas of right and wrong go down the drain.” Charles Rucker, 17, of Omaha, pondered this question. “Should you cheat just because it seems the way to succeed in business, government, in anything without really trying?” His confusion was echoed by Howard Hanna of Pittsburgh who said, “Your friends, being pressured to maintain an 85 average so they can get into college, start to cheat on tests. I know one kid who got every quarterly exam from someplace and never studied a minute.” The young people were a bit more worldly in their discussion of the social mores of our time. Betty Reid, a young lady from Mississippi said, “I know many of my friends drink. Some start when they are 15, usually because they are going out with freshmen or sophomores. They want to be like big shots. But it’s the worst thing in teenage life today. It takes away your intelligence and knocks down your morals.” I have to think that these tall, clear thoughts reflect teenagers the world over. I frankly believe they have an acute sense of right and wrong. It’s a wonder too, for we have given them very few guide posts these past few years.
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