[Cacique]

Children given too much freedom at an early stage run the danger of becomiing obstinate liberals.

[Aliska]

I don't remember any kids having emotional problems in the 40's and 50's, maybe the poorer kids a little but didn't tend to act out in destructive ways. Teen age guys did engage in vandalism and pranks, but it is much worse now. Nobody ever shot anybody on purpose. Later when some got caught up in the hippie/drug scene in the 60's, there was a lot of anti-social behavior on the part of the young which has worsened in each decade.

The article is right on. We all played outside a lot, no matter what season, and walked to school, rode bikes a lot, played golf, swam, all sorts of exercise away from school.

They failed to factor in negative societal influences such as bad music, violent films and tv, ugly makeup and clothes, peer pressure to engage in negative behaviors, epidemic shoplifting, drugs, violence.

I hear you about the perverts. There were some when I was young, but nowhere to the degree there are now, and I think they locked them up or worse for a long time back then.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Children given too much freedom at an early stage run the danger of becomiing obstinate liberals.

The freedom to organize play such as a game of baseball was routine when I was a child. No adults were present. We figured out the teams, the rules, and spent hours playing the game. I'm talking 8 to 12 years old. we learned a lot about getting along. Much of out non school time passed by like this. I'd say we learned the ethics of work a lot earlier than kids will today. Most of us got jobs as teenagers. A kid today won't get a job until they are out of college. I'd say the process made us more conservative at an earlier age. I hope this young generation can hold itself together.

True, as one poster said, America didn't have so many nuts and criminals loose like there is today. That is one reason the leashes are too short today.