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Show Editorial Speaking at a BYU Forum Assembly recently, Dr. John R. Silber, president of Boston University said, "Affluence, far from being an advantage to the human spirit, is more ruthless than war. We have provided our children with luxuries while mindlessly ignoring their goals and motivations... "WE HAVE witnessed he climax of an entire culture which has suffered a se- )us loss of meaning and direction. direc-tion. "Change appears to have devoured the entire fabric of traditions on which the meaning of our personal existence exis-tence depends. Individuals and institutions must regain their sense of identity and direction by coming to terms with change. "DON'T CAPITULATE. Reach an understanding of change. Discriminate between that which is enduring and that which is in motion..." It is ironic that generations in this nation have struggled and undergone great privation in order to build a standard of living which is the marvel of the world and the world's history and they have succeeded so well the affluence which has resulted is in danger of destroying our society. THE OLD motivations no longer motivate. A dollar means so little and with the various governmental assistance as-sistance programs available, no one fears greatly the lack of physical necessities. Young people expect to be able to earn a living doing what they want to do instead of what they have to do. We have discovered that there is no point at which an individual says, "I have sufficient of wealth and power. I do not want any more." We have seen the emergence of a class of super rich so wealthy and so powerful it beggars the imagination. WE HAVE seen young of all classes reject every rule and law of society. We have witnessed the upheaval which comes from the bottom of the pile when the people on the lower economic and social levels struggle to rise, upsetting every strata above them. Ours is truly a society in motion. The important thing, as Dr. Silber said, is to reach an understanding of the changes at work in our society, to be discriminating so we can distinguish between the things which r change if our society is to survive and the parts t 01 social structure which must be remodeled. our SUCH FUNDAMENTAL institutions as the fa must be preserved, and this includes all ramificatin ''y the family such as keeping father at the head Mi' home, having a mother who respects and is respect her work in preserving her family, morality which laws society has thrown up as protective barripr preserve the family, discipline and teachin of chil? in the home as the primary governing body for the v of society including accepting responsibility for aVi the children. cls 01 The rule of law and respect for those who enforce judge must be inculcated into the young at the faJn level. Without real real understanding and upholdins i law, we are not a society in change; we are a societv the way to disintegration. ' 00 WE MUST realize we are a society and we are sponsible for and to those who associate with us in ouf daily life. There has never been any repeal of the ,,, commandments because they are the fundation ston upon which any stable society must be built. Remove thi foundation, and the entire structure is so seriousl weakened it may not be salvageable. y There are aspects of our society which can and must change. We are no longer a frontier society; we are a civilization primarily based in large cities, and our atti tudes and institutions must recognize this and take into account the pressures and special needs of communities where people cannot swing an arm without bumping his neighbor. OUR INSTITUTIONS must change to be more realistic in governing large bodies. We must be willing to take chances and change where stress symptoms appear Bemoaning the good old days never saved a collapsins wall. We must be willing to do the necessary remodelint and that means each of us must be willing to give up some favorite aspect of the past. Ours is a society in motion ; it is not necessarily a society on Its way to destruction. We can accommodate the changes and emerge the stronger if we are interested enough. 4 |