More Consequences of Relative Truth

One name for what is occurring in America is called "the criminalization of America." In actuality, it's just more consequences of relative truth. A recent Washington Post article talked about the dramatic rise in the number of tickets issued to school children. Not tickets to social events, but tickets issued by School Resource Officers- criminal citations to appear in court. While the article title refers to the situation in Texas, that's just to badmouth Texas and Governor Perry, since the text refers to the same problem in Connecticut as well as Chicago (remember Rahm?)- it's evidently a nationwide phenomenon.

Schools, as you probably know, have had a dramatic rise in both the rate and severity of in-school discipline problems. As you also probably know, schools have had severe restrictions placed on the nature and severity of discipline which may be imposed. With the addition of police in children's schoolyards, many school teachers and administrators have simply thrown up their hands and dumped their youthful charges into the criminal system. Examples in the article refer to 10-year-old boys in a tussle, junior-high boyfriend and girlfriend arguing about breaking up, another couple arguing and pouring milk on each other, and so forth.

One of the judges hearing these criminal cases says the purpose of his sentences is to help children "to learn, to make good choices." Sounds good. No doubt well-intentioned. However, dumping these kids into the criminal system will have negative long-term consequences. While a juvenile criminal record may be confidential, and traditionally has been, don't rely on that. Laws change. Legislatures have been busily removing confidentiality because some juveniles tend to move on to adult crimes. Once charges have been filed, it doesn't matter whether the conduct was "childish" or criminally motivated.

The root cause of all this is a lack of internal moral structure. Colleges propound that there is no truth- it's all relative, whatever you believe is right, is right for you. Schools teach the children that they are evolved animals, and animals just do what they want. Advertising in the media says, "Just do it," and "Have it your way." The Courts now say it is illegal to teach morality, and the Schools generally take this to mean it is illegal to talk about God. Even the Churches teach that God is here to meet "felt needs" and cause emotional happiness, and for the most part ignore what the Bible actually teaches. In every context and venue, children are taught that "good" means "you have a right to get what you want, when you want it and how you want it- you are supposed to have life your way."

How, in that context, can children be expected to know- or even comprehend- the idea that a "good choice" may be different from the "choice that makes them feel good" when they make it?

If the children cannot be taught that there is an overarching external morality, they cannot develop an internal moral structure. Relative truth, the idea that you have the right to whatever you want and your desire is paramount over any consideration of anyone and everyone else, once accepted, is at odds with the ability to maintain and live in a civilized culture. No number of armed guards, no regime or bulk of laws or regulations, no matter how oppressive, will ever be found sufficient to keep even a pretext of civilization in a land which refuses to acknowledge and teach morality.