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The generation gap — Why?

Why do young people feel their elders don't understand them?
WHY do so many youths REJECT everything their parents stand for?
Well more than one half of the world's population is under twenty-one.
Suddenly youth is in revolt.
Are these youthful voices the wave of the future?

 

LIKE, MAN — you're nowhere!

You just don't make the scene, y'know?" says the 15-year-old to his own father. "Forget it mom — will-ya? Just forget it, like, you just don't dig, you really don't — you're just nowhere!" says the high school girl to her mother.

Suddenly, it's the generation gap. Parents don't understand their children's talk.

Children don't understand their parents at all.

WHY?

 

Youth in Rebellion

Suddenly, it's the young people of the world who seem to "cause all the problems" to most adults. College-age students riot, scream obscenities, defy police, occupy college buildings, and join extremist groups.

Teenagers run away from home, "fade the scene," and become aimless hippies; indulging in premarital sex, drugs, and, oftentimes, crime.

Students riot in Japan, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Mexico, and the United States.

Are these youthful voices the true voice of the future? Are their screams of indignation the patent prophecy for profound sociological change? Will teenagers soon elect their own officials and practically run whole nations?

Today, youth is in revolt. Parents seem unable to either control or influence their children. Schools seem unable to cope with them, and police departments report the largest representative age groups in crime categories are the tenderest teens. Never in all history has youthful rebellion been such a major issue — never before such a social blight. Never before have mere students been able to virtually topple a government.

But against WHAT are they rebelling? What are their specific feelings about life, about the "establishment" and about the future? Ask THEM, and find out!

 

Youth Has Reasons

They'll tell you a variety of reasons — and most of them quite valid.

First and foremost, they will tell you they hate WAR. They'll tell you they RESENT being told about the "bomb" and the space race. They'll inform you THEY, the teenagers and students, haven't got any grudges against the Russians, Chinese, North Vietnamese or any other human beings.

And they'll probably launch into a rather long and involved discussion on these various principles based on what they have heard, read, or seen from their "peers" and from other youths like themselves.

You'll hear words like "honesty," even when mixed with sex — honesty in admitting what they are, what they're doing, and what they believe.

And why the talk about honesty?

Simply because they have discovered they live in a dishonest world. Most people around them, from businessmen to political leaders, seem to pretend to be one thing — and are usually another. From the sensational "inside" story books, they read of the chicanery in government, business, industry, finance, and education. From the blatantly lurid motion pictures, they see the examples of adult aberrations, crime, violence, perverted sex, or the glorification of war. In the classroom, they may be listening to non-teachers, or ultra-liberal professors who philosophize about God, sex, and government.

From the proponents of hippeism, they hear "a little pot never hurt anybody."

If they're male — they face the draft. Female, and they wonder about where any real happiness and security is found in a nutty world like ours.

Out of college, out of high school, they're disillusioned, frustrated, "turned off" toward their parents, teachers, and all society. In college, thousands of them revolt, demand different classes, new professors, racist lecturers, liberalization of dormitory rules or the removal from campus of the chancellor.

Never in history have so many nations been so on the defensive before their own youth.

In France, youthful demonstrators triggered nationwide strikes that nearly toppled President de Gaulle, brought the French economy to a virtual standstill.

In Mexico, near civil war conditions prevailed prior to the opening of the Olympic Games, with dissident student demonstrators sniping at police in riotous melees which left a large number dead, wounded and in jail.

In Britain, huge anti-American, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, bombings, destruction of property and rioting were increasingly in the news.

Students were rioting in Germany, in Czechoslovakia, in Japan, in Greece, and in Jordan and Egypt.

In the United States, it's a time of dissent, unrest, violence and rioting for America's college and university campuses.

Rebellion. Dissent. Rejection. Riot. These are the headlines of today that seem to rhyme with "youth" and "student."

But WHY?

Is there any overall cohesiveness to these youthful revolts? Is there any worldwide significance?

 

Not All from the Same Causes

Those who riot in Egypt against "Israeli Aggression" are obviously not rioting for the same reasons as British hippies against the war in Vietnam.

The yippies in Chicago were obviously not rioting and demonstrating for the same reasons as the youthful Negroes of Washington, D.C., following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.

But whether French, Japanese, American or Scandinavian — there is a great deal youthful dissidents have in common.

They share a common world. They see a common threat to their future. They fear a common fate.

One thing is sure. The time is long past when youthful students can be told to quietly study their books, and leave the decisions to their leaders and elders.

Recognizing the power of shock tactics, of terror and violence, many millions of youths the world over have joined or formed various youth organizations.

Many of them are Communist. Others are Communist-infiltrated. Some are paramilitary — others are just for free sex. Some are "drop-out" and "don't care" in attitude — and others are obviously politically activist.

But whether challenging their own government, on the local, state, or Federal level, or challenging their schools, their parents, or their churches — today's youth seems bent on challenging. Determined to protest. Dedicated to revolt.

 

One of the Common Causes

The most important worldwide cause of youthful unrest and feelings of resentment is one shared by all humanity.

It is the simple fact of today.

Today we face a world divided against itself, possessing enough nuclear capacity for the destruction of more than 44 worlds like ours; with hot wars and cold wars, mounting liberalism and promiscuity, the double standard and overcrowding, pornography and the pill; the promises of government and the failure of parents.

At his earliest moments of awareness, each youth, whether living in Japan or New England, is taught about the world he lives in.

And he begins to ask, "But why ME? Why Now?"

He begins to wonder — "But why didn't they ask ME about it? Why are you telling me this is my world — when I had no hand in making it so?"

Can the average 14-year-old help resenting the news that his world, and his future, can blow up at any moment? Can the average teenage draftee HELP resenting a world filled with fights not of his making; problems not of his creation; frustrations beyond his solving?

Very quickly, after beginning to learn of the imagination-staggering plight of this modern world, a teenager begins asking himself "WHY?" He wonders How the world GOT this "In the last days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains . . . and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the LAW shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Micah 4:1-2).

This shows that God will "TEACH us" the practical way of life — of His Law — of individual well-being, safety and of world PEACE. Men everywhere must and WILL be taught the proper respect for and understanding of true law and order!

Notice also: "Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they LEARN war any more" (verse 3). Here we find that men no longer will be taught to hate, fight and kill in war. Instead, they will be taught the WAY to peace.

Finally, the prophet Jeremiah outlines the solution to Step Three — CHANGING human nature: "After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my LAW in their inward parts and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jeremiah 31:33). Beginning with Israel, God will pour out His Spirit upon all people and put within them — through the Holy Spirit — His very nature. He will place within them His love, kindness, outgoing concern and His wisdom, knowledge, faith and self-control.

Then, and then only, there will be individual and worldwide PEACE, prosperity and joy through obedience to the laws of God as applied to the entire earth!

Sound fantastic?

Perhaps it does if the reality and proof of God and His Word are new to you. But this wonderful future can be PROVED — it is worth looking into, studying about and proving.

So once again, write for our free booklets described above on the proof of God. Write also for the unusually scintillating, fully illustrated, absolutely free booklets entitled: The Wonderful World Tomorrow — What It Will Be Like and CRIME can be stopped. . . Here's how! They describe in vivid detail what I have outlined above — the real SOLUTION to law and order, to universal PEACE and to all the ails and woes of mankind.

The real solution to these problems will not come about through the efforts of any man or any politician. But it will come, nevertheless! Be sure you understand and are prepared for the fantastic changes in the world situation now beginning to unfold before your eyes. way — WHY it did — and WHERE IS IT GOING?

He RESENTS the conditions of this present world. Sometimes, he becomes excited about causes he thinks can help change it, and demonstrates — even riots. Sometimes, he becomes so resigned to the helpless situation he just gives up, drops out, and lives for the moment, in a licentious morass of sex, drugs, crime and hopelessness.

Obviously, there are dozens, even hundreds of reasons — most of them intensely personal ones, why youngsters defy authority, reject parents, fight police, and revolt. But the one biggest reason is they simply DO NOT LIKE THIS WORLD the way it is — and desperately want to change it.