SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 85, 9 January 1928, Page 10

SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES

Sir,—A great many young people are launched upon its uncertain waters (marriage) inadequately equipped with knowledge and training for the very serious responsibilities which must inevitably confront them later on." That sentence in the second paragraph of your leader, "Attacks on Marriage,” is very true. A genius once said that "this earth was the lunatic asylum of the universe.” I buy a motor-car or motor-cycle, but I can’t drive it on the roads until inspectors appointed for the purpose are satisfied that I know how the machinery works; and that my nerves, eyesight, hearing, sobriety, etc., are satisfactory. “Quite right.” But Nature at birth presents us all with a marvellous mechanism in our bodies and brains, compared to which man’s most intricate and complicated inventions are toys. Education meets us on life’s journey at live, up to which time we have lived lives of Kings and Queens, and drive at ease in our perambulator. School follows, and baby makes his bows to the three K’s, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.

Now, a visitor from our earth’s big brother, Neptune, interrupts here—and after the boy and girl has learned the 3 It’s, I suppose it takes von all your time teaching them all about this “marvellous mechanism” their . bodies and brains. “Not so, my dear sir; you confuse common sense with education—“illuminations differing as radically as sunlight and moonlight.’ ’ Herbert Spencer's book on Education gives us tho key to the problem—“that knowledge is of most worth?” Sanity, points the way to knowledge—Man know thyself. "Modern education too often covers the fingers with rings, and at the same time cuts the sinews at the wrist.”—(Earl of Sterling.) But to come down to tin-tacks. Are the educationists aware that we have arrived at the twentieth century; that, as the Bible says, our life is up to three scores years and ten—it may be more, but chances are it prill be a lot less? What are we doing with it? It may be more interesting to hear of the beautiful, scenery in the distance, but far more important is it to be warned of the pitfalls and precipices immediately ahead. Mind and body are a partnership, of which the head office is situated in the dome called the cranium protected within the skull. Nature has made it perfectly plain that the brain is fundamental, and that the whole problem for rich and poor alike is the reciprocal-, running of the machinery we call life. From the age of sixteen the thoughts of both sexes are dominated by sex! And yet parents turn a blind eye to this undeniable fact, hoping for the best, and yet not preparing for the worst. The great majority of people marry and have families, but from first to last they live and move in a maze, having no knowledge, but only prejudice to guide them. Indeed, they have been told that the whole subject of sex, other than that dealing with love and sentiment, may safely be left to the doctors to deal with. This is reminiscent, of the man who was fold to erect a sign, "This hill is dangerous,” and promptly fixed it at the bottom, because “that was where all the accidents happen!” To sum un in a few words, parents have no right, but act the criminal’s part, to fob off their children with, “you are too young to understand.” and turn to mythology and the stork carrying the new babe in its beak. This subject of sex is too dangerous to trifle with, and boys and girls must bo “put wise” before mischief is done, and not be patched up .by the thoughtlessness which is tho attitude of the ostrich hiding its head in the 'sand. “My brothers and sisters, hear the erv of the children for knowledge, for guidance, on their-sexual lives.” Remember, before- it is too late. —I am, etc., TOO LATE. ■ Wellington, January G.