Laziness a Way of Life
A large number of "hippies" still live at home — accepting whatever charities they can receive from working parents. Others work at various odd jobs, short-term employment and in small businesses (sometimes "hippie" oriented book shops, music shops, and small eating establishments).
But the point is, few are working toward any particular GOAL. Few, if any, are striving to create anything of substance — any lasting institution, worthwhile product, helpful service.
Most seem to accept work as a necessary evil in order to obtain only the barest means of affording mere subsistence in life.
Few seem to realize what joy one can get out of good, honest, hard work with the exhilarating thrill of accomplishment.
Man was created to become a productive, useful, needed member of society! Every human being wants to feel he is needed, that his life serves some useful purpose. No one can be truly happy unless and until he is fulfilling that innate desire to do something constructive — to have a worthwhile existence!
Yet how many young people have been taught, by the adult generation, the joy of shouldering responsibility. Few adults know what it is like to work hard at some job for which one is suited. And to receive the deep-down satisfaction of doing a job well.
Not many squares like the work they do. Little wonder most teenage and adult hippies glory in laziness, shiftlessness, sloth. They pride themselves in idleness and ease.
The result is that hippies away from home often have to go hungry, dress shabbily, sleep in cold, dirty, hard places. They do not have sufficient money to buy the necessities of life. They don't live properly.
The result? Their health often suffers terribly. After months or a few years of bad eating and sleeping habits, their health often begins to break. Many hippies look pale, thin, listless, sexually depleted. Few have the robust, healthy, zestful joy of living that comes from a happy, balanced, productive life.
Many are untidy (often downright dirty!) in their personal habits. Their gypsy-like existence leads them into circumstances where they can't wash and bathe themselves regularly. Consequently, it is not uncommon for hippies to become infested with "wee folk" — fleas, lice, etc.
Hippie Morality
Most hippies freely admit they do not bother much about morality. Their loose living occasions many a headache and heartache.
Man was intended to use his mind. Animals have only instinct. But man should learn to think, to plan, to order his life — not just to be pushed and shoved about by circumstances.
What are the fruits of hippie morality? Social diseases, illegitimate children, guilt complexes sometimes leading to insanity. And mixed-up, confused lives devoid of the real deep love and security that come through a properly ordered home life — where marriage is contracted and where each remains faithful to his or her partner.
Drug Addiction
It is well known that drug addiction is very high among hippies. The use of drugs by hippies is just about as common as bathing is among ordinary people.
The horrible effects of drug addiction can hardly be overestimated. The main bad effect of drug addiction (especially, the use of LSD, marijuana, heroin, etc) is that these drugs twist the minds of the misguided users. Some of their minds have been damaged so much by drugs that they are doomed to remain abnormal. Some are driven to commit suicide. Others, under the influence of drugs, have been driven to some crazy action which resulted in their premature death.
Surely a rational being should be able to calmly, coolly observe the fruits of drug addiction and conclude that it is in his, and society's, best interest not to become another hopelessly crippled drug addict.
Who Is to Blame?
The three most important formative institutions which formerly influenced the growing generation are 1) the home, 2) schools and colleges, and 3) the churches.
All three have nearly abdicated their respective roles.
Parents are failing to teach children properly in the home. Millions of homes are unhappy, divided — a wretched environment for youth.
Father is no longer in control in many homes. Mothers are too busy, and aren't properly looking after their families.
Then, the parents often set wretched examples for their youngsters to follow. Remember, children learn by example. One's own personal example of cheerfulness, fidelity, cleanliness, industry and fairness will do far more to point the way than millions of words.
When excessive drinking, drug-taking, marital infidelity, foul language, bad tempers, disrespect for law, and myriads of other bad habits are the daily norm in the presence of children — how can one expect them to grow up with any true basis on which to build a happy life?
How many parents have failed to teach young people the value and real joy of work, of producing, of living a useful, constructive, upright life? How many have lavished money and material things on their children — have often been overindulgent toward them? But they have denied them any real sound moral or spiritual principles or guideposts by which they could conduct their lives.
Result? Boredom, frustration, rebellion!
Children can become miserable when they are permitted too much freedom. Today's parents are far too permissive toward their children. Children never develop respect and love for over-permissive parents!
Until we learn to correct our own topsy-turvy, upside-down home lives, we cannot expect to raise happy, obedient, productive citizens. If we sow wrong teaching and examples in the minds of our children, we will have to reap the evil consequences! And that is just what we are doing — producing a bumper crop of dropout, hippie lay-abouts. Some of whom are, now dropping in again as young revolutionaries!
Schools and Colleges Share Blame
Today's school and college teachers also share the blame for the big harvest of dropouts.
Something is criminally wrong with much of modern education. Schools and colleges seldom teach the sound, moral principles of hard work, honesty, decency, good citizenship. Much of what is taught is irrelevant.
Instead, teachers funnel into the minds of young people noxious, ready-made mixtures of agnosticism and rank atheism — often in the guise of evolution. God is thrown out of most all the classrooms of schools and colleges.
Where there is no God, there are no absolutes, no definite laws to define what is right or wrong. Hence youths feel free to do as they please.
So the younger generation is left without any guiding principles by which to steer. Like a ship without a rudder, they drift aimlessly through life, not knowing what they are, where they came from or where they are going.
Educators have nurtured a bountiful crop of disillusioned, rebellious, fearful, amoral youngsters who are drifting aimlessly through life. The teachers and professors share a major responsibility for today's dropout, lay-about, hippie and/or revolutionary generation.
Waning Religion — Should It Share the Blame?
Surely it does not take a wise man to see that somewhere religion has failed to give the answers to this world's ills.
Much of the lawlessness that is so rampant in the world (especially among the young) is directly attributable to such concepts which urge us to believe we do not have to obey the most perfect code of conduct ever delivered to mankind — the TEN COMMANDMENTS!
Today's ultra-liberal clergymen are contributing to today's lawlessness, however unintentionally. Some even march in the front ranks of protesters and by their presence, seemingly encourage civil disobedience.
When they begin to preach and practice obedience to the Ten Commandments and submission to the laws of the State, then general respect for law will be easier for the younger generation to accept.
Youth Shares Responsibility
Today's younger generation shares responsibility for its own actions! Each young person has the ability to examine the various ways of life to find out which produces good and which produces bad results.
Young men and women can't shove all the blame on the adult generation. Everyone is a free moral agent — has the power of free choice — can and must decide for him or herself.
Make no mistake about it. Today's youth can see the many things that are wrong with the present-day civilization. But they don't know what should be put in its place!
Not even the young revolutionaries have an answer. They can see what needs to be changed — but what to build, they don't know!
The Fateful Choice Is Ours
When will parents, teachers and clergymen — everyone — wake up to the awful realization that society has woefully failed to rightly teach the young generation — our most precious heritage?
And when will today's youth wake up to see that, in spite of a lack of right teaching and training by their elders, they must face up to the pitfalls, dangers and unproductiveness of a lay-about, dropout, hippie way of life?
Today's hippies are responsible for their own conduct! They don't have to follow in the steps of their elders when their elders err!
The choice is up to parents, teachers and clergymen to rightly guide and lead the youths committed to our trust! If we fail, all of us will surely someday bewail the consequences!
The choice is also up to you young people. You can — you must — decide to channel your lives into useful and productive channels. Only by so doing can you ever be truly happy! If you want to know the real truth about today's hippie world and its fruits, then be sure and write immediately for our free, fully illustrated booklet entitled, Hippies — Hypocrisy and Happiness. And then you need to read another booklet The Wonderful World Tomorrow — What It Will Be Like. It will open your eyes!