Judge advice to teens for yourself | Myrtle Beach Sun News

An open letter to teenagers from a judge who wrote it in 1959 has resurfaced on the Internet. It reads in part, “Always we hear the plaintive cry of the teenager: ‘What can we do? Where can we go?’ The answer is ‘Go home.’ Hang the storm windows, paint the woodwork. Rake the leaves, mow the lawn, shovel the walk, wash the car, learn to cook, scrub some floors, repair the sink, build a boat, get a job. Help the minister, Red Cross, Salvation Army. Visit the sick, assist the poor, study your lessons, and then, when you are through and not too tired, read a book. Your parents do not owe you entertainment.”

JFK challenged a generation by stating, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” How would such a point of view help our teens today? You be the judge.

The writer is minister of the Myrtle Beach Church of Christ.