The Spitting Image

(revised from the Al Duncan Archives 2006)

As I travel around the country speaking and mentoring there is a question that continuously comes up.

“What’s wrong with these young people today?”

Grrr… That question drives me bonkers!

The same thing that’s wrong with young people is the same thing that’s wrong with adults: detrimental values. Think about it.

Duncan Nugget® #189

Young people are a reflection of adult values.

You might be thinking:
“But what about their peers?”

“Hey, I don’t wear my pants hanging off of my butt.”

“My hair isn’t pink and green.”

“My clothes aren’t so tight that it looks like I painted them on me.”

True, but…

The adults run things. Our youth don’t own the movie theaters, TV stations, clothing companies, or radio stations. They don’t publish the books. They don’t produce and distribute the videos, DVD’s, CD’s, and MP3’s. They don’t manufacture the guns. They don’t own the boats and planes bringing in the drugs. They don’t own the porn sites and the sex trafficking rings.

So, while you’re getting angry and frustrated with the young folks, remember the adults. Young people are the spitting image of the adult values that dominate society.

One day when I was speaking at a community center I saw a guy fussing at some teenagers about how they were dressed.

“Y’all need to pull your pants up.”

The guy had on an old, oily baseball cap turned to the back. He was wearing an off-yellow grayish tank top that used to be white. And there were so many peas in his beard that he could’ve opened a supermarket! (Translation: His beard was unkempt).

Uh…hello. What’s wrong with this picture?

That’s no different than someone with a $20,000 home theater in his or her house and no home library, being all upset because his kids don’t read and study enough. That makes no sense.

We live in a society where it’s more important for most adults to have a home entertainment center than it is to have a bookcase. Now that is pitiful.

Duncan Nugget® #354:
Youth empowerment begins with adult values.

So the question isn’t “What’s wrong with these young people today?”

Million-Dollar Question:
“What are YOU doing to help
in the fight against negative adult values?”