What the hell is going on here? Is it me or is the “freedom” of the youth today steadily going to the shitter?

We have lost most of our ability to be young. The rules and regulations put upon youth today make it impossible to mess up — let alone go out and do something crazy.

Do you remember in grade school when you’d watch your neighbors’ older kids have parties and you couldn’t wait to be older so you could do that? Or when you’d be in your mom’s car looking out the window and a couple of high school kids would take off, peeling out as that light turns green? Or maybe those crazy stories you always heard from your 17-year-old babysitter? I sure as hell do.

The government of our society is bearing down directly on our youth — the alcohol regulations against the young, these new Veishea rulings and the general attitude of police officers on the road.

One screw up and you’re toast. You’re in jail. You’re sucked dry of money. (Hey, and I don’t want to hear any garbage about someone’s friend they lost in a drunk-driving accident; that’s a different topic. I’ve lost two friends to that. Quit feeling sorry for yourselves and learn from others’ mistakes.)

Hell, I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong. But there are the people who read letters like this and go, “What the fuck is this guy talking about?!?” I guess it’s those kind of people who don’t stop to smell the roses.

Things are not black and white! Things aren’t always this way or that!

Does anyone remember what it’s like to be young? It sure doesn’t seem like it. There are a lot bigger things out there, people. We’re all part of a bigger picture. We’ve got to quit fighting each other and start fighting on the same side.

We can’t screw up anymore. We can’t learn through experience. We are more machines now — programmed by society and our government.

I can go on and on. Those of you who do know what I’m talking about don’t need me to go on. Those of you who don’t know what I am saying, you need to figure it out.

It’s not an easy task. How can we help ourselves to become human again? Just remember the bigger picture. In fact, try and remember what it was like as a second grader and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Philip J. Lorenz

Junior

Computer engineering