On another page is the story of a group of Kentucky youths that murder a family.

The crime rate in this country is skyrocketing. Most of the crimes are committed by teenagers. What's wrong? We could blame many things - failure of the home, the church, society. But, there is another article that has just about hit the nail on the head: Modem Day Kids Need Olden-Day Work Ethic. With this I agree. John Rosemond, a Knight-Ridder writer says that such a work ethic is not being instilled in today's child. He says that in a mere 30 years the roles have been reversed between parent and child. "Today", he says, "it is the parent who serves", and not the child. "Today's parent", he continues, "thinks the more acts of service a parent performs, the better the parent. The parent of yesteryear functioned as a supervisor, role model, trainer, and nurturer. Today, to qualify as "good", the parent functions as chauffeur, butler, maid, playmate, confidante, advocate, attorney, tutor, therapist and mediator . . ."

As a child, I was blessed with a good home. My parents were pretty easy on me, but they did teach me responsibility and this helped me to keep out of trouble. When I got home from school, I had chores to do. I had to get the milk cans ready for milking. I would put feed down in the milk barn. Then my dog, Highway, and I would go get the cows, and then I helped with the milking. In the summertime I would get jobs with farmers hauling hay for 50 cents a day. Sometimes I would help Arthur Richardson out on the milk truck. My folks always raised a big garden and I always helped with that. In the wintertime I had the responsibility of feeding hay to the cattle. And, I didn't get paid for what I did at home, either. I didn't like most of the jobs I did. I did my share of grumbling and griping, but I knew I had to get it done before there would be any "fun time". And there was plenty of that as I grew up.

I used to be told that an idle brain is the Devil's workshop. Our growing problem with juvenile delinquency is, I believe, a direct result of idleness and laziness. Or at the least, it will result in discontent, laziness, resentment of authority, slothfulness and, in general, a poor work ethic as an adult. Parents are largely at fault by not teaching their children to work. Solomon wrote: "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor." (Prov. 21:25). The Apostle Paul wrote that if a "man shall not work, neither shall he eat" (2 Thes. 3:1 ).