Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/41

Rh In the Twin Cities we had the senseless killing of a man for $10.25 by youths, In Michigan, we were shocked by the brutal murder of a nurse by boys. They were just average teen-agers of the neighborhood.

Cases too numerous to mention proclaim the moral breakdown of our youth, disintegration of the family, and the lack of concern for the general welfare of youth.

Why are 400,000 delinquents slated for 1954? It cannot be attributed to an overnight personality change. It is not a population factor alone. The war upset has leveled off greatly. Then why these dreadful crimes by teen-agers in such large numbers?

Narcotic peddling is one cause, but it is not universal.

There is a destructive factor that is universal. It is the arrogant, defiant publishing and distribution of thousands upon thousands of filth-drenched pocket-books and magazines of the girlie-gag variety.

This printed poison drips with astounding ads, sadistic rape-murder stories which mask as true reporting. These perverted magazines contain instructions in crime, narcotic uses, and sex perversions, and moral degradation.

This evil literature floods each community by the truckload. It is produced in corruption as maggots are produced and made available to your children.

This brazen effrontlery to the deceney of Our communities was highlighted by J. Edgar Ioover in his letter of April 8, 1942: "I am indeed gratified to learn of the steps being taken by the Minnesota Juvenile Court Judges Association toward preventing the sale and distribution of obseene literature in Minnesota. I have been imust vigorously opposed to such materials, for I sincerely believe that its availability to youth is one of the principal causes of delinquency."

To act effectively, parents must first reeognize aud understand the situation. Many magazines have endeavared to enlighten ns.

In the Noventher 1951 issue of The Woman's Home Companion is an article entitted "The Smut Peddler Is After Your Child." The Christian Herald, May 195z, carried an article, entitled "Smut on the Newsstands."

In Oetober 1052 Reader's Digest gave results of the national survey of smut as eonducted and reported by Margaret Culkin Ranning, This information was prescuted to the Gathings House Commitiee to Investigate Indecent Publications.

The November, 1953, issne of Ladies Home Journal featured "What Parents Don't Know About Conties." Reprints of this article, available at 2½ cents each, area must for every PTA. Address Mrs. Betty Kidd, Ladies Home Journal, Philadelphia 5, Pa.

This alarm has awakened « few parents but not nearly enough of them. The invasion has neither ceased or diminished. Rather it has flourished under the unserupnulous eyes of certain factions.

So-called "liberal, advanced thinkers" support and encourage "expression of thought" on the part of racketeers of rot. It is hard to know what satisfaction they find in exposing millions of children to the moral poison whieh Is the formula of a great many comics.

Many parents will ask why this distribution of obscene publications goes unchecked. The answer to that question is a simple and ancient one, Money! Big money in this case.

It is a multi-million dollar racket and the kind that has a way of fighting. It can buy and control and hire those who will cry "censorship"but never at any time show concern over what is happening to youth.

The racket pokes fun at censors, those who have a care for youth. It is an old trick, which works. Encouraged by such hirelings, this giant corrupter of youth exerts pressure in every village, town and city.

This new 1954-model racket has clever ways and means also of avoiding the law. It hauls its "literature" into your community in privately owned trucks to avoid postal inspection.

Nor can the FBI interfere because such trucks are not common carriers for hire and subject to interstate commerce rules. The giant works outside the law yet he begs for protection under the first amendment.