A bunch of drunk teenagers vandalized a site once inhabited by the American poet Robert Frost. In A Violation of Both Law and the Spirit, Dan Barry seems offended that these, for lack of a better word, punks didn’t show respect to history or elders.
These punks are a direct result of a bunch of people who didn’t respect history or authority teaching them. Why are they surprised? The generation that is entering and leaving colleges now is filled with higher percentage of “entitlement” mentality people than probably has ever existed before at one time. They have the mentality of the old aristocracy, and all too often lack of responsibility.
I wish I could say that I’m surprised that those like Dan Barry are surprised, but I’m not. Nor am I, obviously, surprised at the behavior of these punks. People such as myself, Bible-believing Christians, are often ridiculed, even by our friends, for our concerns about trying (although we often—even usually—fail) to align with a Biblically based life. If people were honest, how could a Biblically (read: New Testament, and not forced conversion) be worse than this?
What happened was criminal and I hope that somehow the Frost property can be repaired with generous donations from the miscreants and their families. Reading Dan Barry’s account though I had to stifle a laugh (okay, I didn’t try very hard) because his words sound like those of some older gentleman from — pick a generation — complaining about the ungrateful youth of the next. Perhaps you are correct that the disrespect is getting worse but I’m not sure how one would objectively measure such a thing.
One thing is certain. We can blame the demon alcohol and — mind you, not many other people are going to agree with me — that darned jazz music for these events. And don’t get me started on today’s so-called “modern” haircuts the young men are wearing.
All joking aside… (finally), I’m not sure I quite wrapped my head around the point you made in the last paragraph. Maybe I have a different perspective on the very real struggles that Christians have because I was raised among them. When I see a Christian “stumble,” I understand what is going on. On the other hand, when I see a vocal and public scold go down for the very thing he was preaching against, I point and laugh.
I knew I’d get you to comment on this one, Allen (insert evil, okay not so evil, laugh here).
I’m pretty sure I didn’t make my point well at all in the last paragraph. I’ll have to think about it.
As to your comment “…sound like those of some older gentleman from…”, that was exactly the point.