The Western Socialist
Vol. 26 - No. 211
No. 7, 1959
page 12
Much has been written and many discussions held on the subject of Juvenile Delinquency. What is the cause of it? Where does it start? How can it be dealt with? Quite recently, a group of so-called experts were picked to investigate this sore problem: to probe to the roots of the evil, and come up with the proper answers. The sum total of their efforts were amazing, in that all they were able to discover, were two primary factors. First, that juvenile delinquency has always existed, secondly, that 85% of these delinquents were children of the working class. The main question as to the why of it, is left unanswered. The clergy, right reverends and wrong reverends, prescribe Sunday school brain washing. The military, naturally believe that the armed forces with lots of discipline will do the trick, while the members of the little fat boys organizations, the Masons, Elks, Moose and Wolves, etc. advise lots of hard work, with an eye on the profits coming their way.
Let us examine the situation from a Socialist's viewpoint. Capitalist Society, built on the foundations of robbery and murder, catering to a greedy useless minority through the exploitation of the labor power of the majority (the Working Class) — Capitalism, truly a cesspool of delinquency. Such a society can only produce delinquents, both juvenile and adult. Is there any wonder that many children of the working class, seeing and living the misery, degradation and slavery of their parents, attempt to escape the same fate themselves; sometimes resorting to petty crime, to obtain the wherewithal to live, others seeking some thrill to offset the drabness of their existence. Capitalism has nothing to offer the younger generation except wage slavery, garnished with promise of a good time in heaven when they die, that is, on condition that they have been good slaves for the boss. It is perfectly natural that the growing generation are largely influenced by the examples set by their elders, and many, though unable to understand the fundamentals of this Capitalist Society and the economic set-up, have enough intelligence to see through the lies and hypocrisy of the master class, they know the empty mouthings of the preachers, the class injustice meted out by the pompous judges of the court, the greed of the sneaking lawyers, the lies of the politician, the impact of the club wielded by the police in the name of protection. Only Socialism offers a solution to this problem of delinquency, the elimination of the Capitalist System with all its evils and the ushering in of Socialism: the scientific production and distribution of wealth; the workers receiving the full product of their toil; the end of poverty crime, war and delinquency.
CHARLIE WHITE, S.P.C.