DISCIPLINE

IN CHAPTER 104 OF MOBY DICK, HERMAN MELVILLE WROTE, "TO PRODUCE A MIGHTY BOOK YOU MUST CHOOSE A MIGHTY THEME." THIS TRUISM MAY BE APPLIED TO MELVILLE'S NOVEL AND TO THE BIBLE, ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS. TO PARAPHRASE THE AUTHOR SLIGHTLY, I SAY "TO PRODUCE A STRONG ADULT, YOU MUST INSTILL SOME STRONG DISCIPLINE."

A STRONG ADULT WITH AN IQ TOWERING ABOVE MINE, SUGGESTED TO ME THAT THERE IS AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN ATTITUDE OF RESPECT IN YOUTH AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF DISCIPLINE IN THE 'OLD DAYS' AND THE ATTITUDE OF DISRESPECT AND THE LACK OF DISCIPLINE IN YOUTH TODAY. REMEMBER WHEN THE NUNS WOULD WHOP AN OUT-OF-LINE YOUNGSTER ACROSS THE BACK OF THE HEAD? MORAL SYNAPSES AWAKE! WAS HER SCIENTIFIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL POINT. AND YET CHILDREN WERE INGRAINED WITH A HIGHER DEGREE OF COMMON SENSE, GOOD MANNERS, TOLERANCE AND APPROPRIATE GUILT THAN THE BOORS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOMS TODAY. TO HELP SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, STUDENTS MUST NOW PARTICIPATE IN A "RESPECT" INITIATIVE. I KID YOU NOT. A GRAMMAR SCHOOL'S NEW PROGRAM AIMS TO TEACH R..E...S...P...E...C...T..., EACH LETTER OF THE WORD REPRESENTING A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF CONCEPT.

MY SMART, STRONG OBSERVER OF MODERN CULTURE WAS RAISED FATHERLESS, IN AN ALL FEMALE HOME. YET SUCH DATA (USED TODAY FOR EXCUSES) WAS IRRELEVANT BACK WHEN THE ATTITUDE OF RESPECT PERMEATED THE PREVAILING CULTURE AND CHILDREN WERE BEST SEEN AND NOT HEARD. ADULTHOOD WAS TIME ENOUGH TO RENDER ONE'S OPINIONS IN THE WORLD. ADULTS INDULGED NO NEGOTIATIONS OVER DISCIPLINARY TACTICS WITH UNDERAGE CHILDREN. SADLY , THE REVERSE IS OFTEN CONSIDERED GOOD PARENTING TODAY. IN THE 'OLD DAYS' THE VIRTUE OF RESPECT WAS PLANTED AT HOME AND TRANSFERRED INTO THE SCHOOLS. AT PRESENT, IT HAS APPARENTLY NEVER GERMINATED.

NOW THAT THE 'BLACK, VEILED MONSTERS' (NUNS) HAVE SETTLED INTO THEIR RETIREMENT VILLAGES, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND PERMISSIVENESS HAVE REPLACED THEM AT THE HEAD OF CLASSES. ARE PROGRAMS LIKE "RESPECT" UP TO THE JOB OF REVERSING THE TREND? WHO ARE WE KIDDING? THE NUN'S NEVER DID.