| Show kathleen norris says tie the crime school for foi children dell bell syndicate features 4 4 til T I 1 A now new mexico melco boy of 15 13 got gol hi his s mother to lean over the fihs bathtub to look dou down tin the drain for something i then cracked her oter the bead by KATHLEEN NORRIS T T SEEMS to me that it is is ITS about a b 0 ut time writes JL mar mary y pierce from minneapolis for the mothers of america to do something about the crime wave on the radio the late afternoon hours and early evening hours are the times when our children are free to listen to air programs and those are the times when crimes of every description are exploited and featured rough and vulgar voices sound through my house and my children are prepared to chatter eagerly of fashions in in which poisons can be administered murders concealed lies and t theft heft used to further this purpose put pose or that the other night her letter continues my husband who is a professor ot of english and I 1 settled ourselves to listen to the program our two sons so much enjoy the boys are 8 8 and 11 we heard no not t one but seven crime stories in a single afternoon and evening the whining voices of 0 underworld women the violent threats qt of professional gangsters the argot of criminals all ii these were poured forth in a flood several ol of the sleuths who solved such puerile and childish mysteries as were concocted for these pro grams were accompanied by their delicate refined sweethearts or wives who casually joked over the murderers who tell fell dead or wounded over their feet and commented wittily w to such victims as were des tined lined for the electric chair pirates robbers prostitutes thugs gunmen vile schemers of all sorts personalized these dramas the language an was almost all vulgar abbreviations viat ions or those phrases now so dismally familiar to us all stick em up come clean sing get yourself a mouthpiece A movement has begun surely mrs pierce goes goe on all this must be having an I 1 effect if act upon our children why accustom them nem to to gentle voices all day long correct their grammar even try to instill into them some of the rudi ments of moral and self controlled living and then ful their minds and souls just before bedtime with the groans of the tortured the suspense of danger the cruelties cruel ties of cri crime me and the rattle of gunfire can we do anything about it and what can we do yes we can do something about it I 1 say in answer an awer A movement Is already on foot to curb this dangerous excess of sensationalism and with your help and the help of your club and church it may well ell gain a valuable importance within the next few months something was done to clean up the movies movies some years ago it gasn wasn t done completely but no human effort ever Is per cent successful to contaoi control the radio situation will be simpler because we can decline to buy the products that are at present actually contributing to the delinquency of our children forbid the rh ildren to use the radio sounds reasonable advice but it for many of these programs me are especially designed for children aliu n the products they advertise are to be used by children and in childrens hours of leisure it is only fair that they should be able to look to the radio tor for entertainment they might well look to it for much more they might well be helped and inspired by it but if that is looking too far ahead and too hopefully at least we may insist that ca I 1 thai delicious e yea old girl the crime school open up as soon as the regular school closes and the small receptive minds and souls dont plunge into the underworld for an hour or two every night of 0 their lives evidence of damage ill tell you how he poisoned her S said aid a seven year old boy to me enthusiastically a few months ago she take aspirin tablets see so he just and just that one man killed four our of them and the police get a clue a demure little girl remarked they tied her and they told her they were going to kill her and my little sister joan got crying in the night about it two portland girls ol of 12 went into a drugstore last december and tried to buy strychnine they get it and they want it but they thought it would be fun to t try and perhaps to have to sign in the druggists book A boy ol of 15 in new mexico got his mother to lean over the bathtub and look down the drain for something cracking her over the head when he got her into that position because he had heard of this particular method if giving them helpful and constructive s truc tive and moral thoughts really is good for the rising generation then supplanting these with a familiarity with the lowest and most dangerous characters and situations imaginable just as truly is bad it is as it if you gave that delicious five year old girl her supper of spinach milk ginger cookies and followed it with lobster newburg cocktails and a dash of cyanide of potassium it if youre interested write to mrs airs charles hartigan 1063 thomas jefferson street washington 7 D C and ask for information as to what is being done about this danger |
