One thing you will never hear me say is “Here’s your lunch box son and don’t forget your condoms!” However, if the current cultural and political trends, advocated by the liberal left and perpetuated by the media continue, that phrase just might catch on. As will the proliferation of thongs for pre-teen girls that read “juicy”, “hot” and “catch me if you can”.

Every generation of teenagers has rebelled in one form or another whether musically (remember Elvis the Pelvis?), behaviorally, or with their clothing choices and this striking out to find their own identity is perfectly normal. The difference today is that the choices kids are making to express their personal freedom and test out their independence are becoming more and more radical.

Each time a traditional boundary is crossed because overindulgent parents allow it, kids start looking for a new thrill, another line to step over and, in doing so, stray further and further from what is safe, sound and responsible. It seems to be that some parents are confusing permissiveness with love and just do not have the ability, or perhaps are too lazy, to “Just say no”. What they do not comprehend is that kids need boundaries in order to feel safe, and they won’t respect a parent who lets them be out of control.

It takes a lot of time, effort and patience to create a family structure that teaches ethics, values and effective living skills and, whether the values taught come from a liberal or conservative perspective, they should be based on safety, common sense and a reining in of the more base behaviors that can fracture a developing character. What is disheartening however is that certain factions of our culture spend so much time on advocating every possible agenda, no matter how bizarre, rather than on family values.

Something is wrong when more is invested on liberal tangents such as the saving of the California Coastal Gnatcatcher (poor things are endangered) rather than on children who are lost in a violent, drug clouded, sexually promiscuous and morally corrupt race towards extinction. How perverse is it that time and money are poured into supporting the ACLU when that misguided organization supports NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) and “How to” sites for men seeking sex with little girls?

We may not even need to worry about whether or not global warming is a reality, we’ll just allow lackadaisical parents and the media to push our children to eat less, vomit more, pierce above and below the belt, pop pills, huff inhalants, and “hook up” with anything that moves. It doesn’t really matter since you can easily dispose of any unwelcome viability in-between math and biology, without parental consent, and because AIDS and overdoses help with population control. Better for the planet right?

It sounds twisted doesn’t it? Not any more twisted than twelve and thirteen-year-old girls emulating and gyrating to the sounds of the Pussycat Dolls with lyrics like “We went as far as we felt like going, took a ride, satisfied , had no restrictions, stop or go.” Those lyrics are conservative compared to the likes of Akon, Fat Joe and and Ja’Rule who promote dating violence, rape and “ride it or die”. Great beat or not, the shocking lyrics of these songs are accepted as normal by teens and mom and dad buy the CD’s for them.

On a lighter note, there really ought to be a law against the lower than low-rise jeans trend that creates teenage girl plumber’s crack. Oh, wait, that would be violating the rights of butts everywhere. Never mind. At least the boys with the low-slung “gangsta” pants are wearing underwear.

Some might bristle at the idea of conservative values, but all children benefit from a foundation based on self-control, integrity and a respect for authority. Regardless of whether your personal politics fall to the right or the left, allowing teenage behavioral limits to drift further and further away from more conventional values and practices is not social progress. It is not enlightening, intelligent or practical and the result will be a generation of apathetic non-voters who are numb to violence, sexual perversity and human value - if they live that long.