tangents

Elvis the Pelvis hardly impresses me, neither his singing, his sideburns nor his shimmy which I've never witnessed. But the hue & cry raised against him & against rock & roll, as part of the arrant nonsense bandied about regarding juvenile delinquency, raises serious dangers. To blame Presley for delinquency (as officials have in many communities) is stupid. To bar his appearance in certain cities because there are some rowdies among his fans (aside from the dubious legality of such action) surely does nothing to make rebellious youth more docile. The prurient charge that Elvis' hip movements are sexy is a "projection" by parents, not much shared by the kids, who merely see him as "real cool." If rock & roll is cheap, vulgar, often brutal & savage, these aren't new qualities in our culture, Gutter music, suggestive lyrics, barbaric rhythms have long been with us, & taken alone, are hardly enough to sabotage national morals.

At least one news columnist, AP's Hal Boyle, takes lighter view of Presley, feeling that day of " sex bomb" approach in entertainment is due for fall & that Presley, by reducing it to utter nonsense, may mark end of day when press agents gauge "personality" & "beauty" with tape measure & public thinks charm stems from particular brands of dentifrice. Farfetched....?

I don't minimize dangers of delinquency, tho not convinced it's on rise to degree some say. Police statistics showing that it is, as often reflect stiffer enforcement as actual increase in juvenile crime. Youth are prosecuted & stigmatized for many things their parents used to consider good, clean fun. Explosive qualities of situation in which youth now finds itself can't be denied, but should be faced with more cool think ing.

Investigating committees headed by

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news & views

by dal mcintire

Senators anxious for publicity don't help much. Nor does testy action of Wilmington, N.C., judge who after fining youth $25 for reckless driving. was so irritated by his "flattop & pegged trousers" & " brash attitude, he added a vindictive "6 months on the roads." .. 52 Romeo, Mich., hi-school youths threatened with expulsion unless they trimmed haircuts supposedly imitative of Presley.. Chardon, O., Juvenile Judge Ford refusing to hear any cases (even minor charges) involving youths wearing what he calls "costumes of youthful defiance" fancy hairdos, levis, engineer boots, metal-studded leather jackets, etc. He orders costumes & haircuts removed before he'll hear case, & both parents may face contempt proceedings if compliance is slow. Is it judge's prerogative to enforce own notion of proper clothing styles? Attitude of many authorities ultimately even more dangerous than youthful defiance, which isn't disposed of that easily.

Jacksonville Juvenile Court Judge Gooding says nation needs more "Carrie Nation types" to hew hard & fast line between good & evil, & to emphasize correct example parents must set for their children. Deplores introducing debutantes at cocktail parties: "Just like taking your daugh ter down to the corner saloon."

Santa Ana, Calif., Parents object to "secret dossiers" kept on children thru-out school careers, containing

material which might be significant to employers" made up not only of grades & school reports, but also unverified opinions from teachers & outside sources regarding "significant habits, views, weaknesses, & tendencies" & regarding home backgrounds. School authorities admit dossiers contain "some unverified reports concerning such students, which, if repeated often enough, form a pattern of suspicion as to what he is like," but said so-called "Cume Cards" were almost identical with