Malcolm Cutchins: When did virtue leave our behavior?

In our much-polarized country, I suspect we can nearly all agree on one observation: young men can be trained to hate, to terrorize, to do unspeakable and barbarian acts against other people.

The evidence is irrefutable, based on the actions of al-Qaida and the events of 9/11 on our own soil and more recently in Mumbai (formerly Bombay). It appears that a very misguided “religious” zeal is at the root of this training. All religions are not equal.

If training to be bad, really evil, is so clearly evident, why cannot the opposite happen as well? It can, but our country is showing increasing signs of being deficient in doing the things to nurture training to be virtuous. Those signs include corporate mismanagement, congressional misbehavior, trampling of an employee at Wal-Mart in Long Island, N.Y. as doors opened early on “Black Friday,” and many high school students lying, cheating, and stealing (A1, this paper, Dec. 1).

While I am sure there will be multi-million dollar studies to “explain” these things, I believe there are more realistic answers. “Explanations” include parental ineffectiveness and shortcomings of our educational systems. In too many instances, both have caved in to those who want to dispense with the teaching of a basis for true ethical values, discard God from the public square, disregard the Protestant work ethic and emphasize things that really don’t help.

My wife and I recently watched a DVD of the film, “Lean on Me.” The film, starring Morgan Freeman as a new courageous high school principal (Eastside High in New Jersey), was based on a true story. In the film, the incorrigible students who were pushing drugs, assaulting teachers and being totally undisciplined were immediately dismissed from school. The school had failed miserably in passing standardized tests, and if that happened again, the school would have to be closed. The turn-around success (at passing the tests) that emphasized true academics and discipline is very heart warming.

Our government school systems are now too driven to teach political correctness, egalitarianism and the promotion of various agendas rather than true
history.

Even in Alabama, enough of the vile NEA’s dastardly educational themes penetrate down into our AEA and curricula that we cannot instill realistic values in all of our students.

Why should a student fear that someone might observe his or her wrongdoings when he observes the God so revered in this nations’ founding thrown out of public recognition? The threat of being punished for wrongdoing can be a great deterrent to misbehavior. Also, if we as a society do not teach true history, how can a student understand the great sacrifices made for his or her freedom?

Sunday, Dec. 7, is a day to remember that terrible attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a day to teach children of past sacrifices made, a remembrance that carries an obligation to be virtuous in all behavior.

Dr. Malcolm Cutchins is an emeritus professor of engineering of Auburn University and writes a weekly column for The Opelika-Auburn News.