The Devil Made Me Do It

One of the most memorable lines from “West Side Story” comes during the song “Gee, Officer Krupke.” Proudly declared by Riff a gang member, the words, in defense of his antisocial behavior, were “I'm depraved on account I'm deprived.” We're entertained by the wordplay and the concept it conveys, but we also laugh a little nervously, both because we know he believes what he's saying,ⁱ and because we're concerned about a society in which criminal behavior may be excused because of “mitigating” conditions.

One of the more frightening ideas, and one we know to be true, is that people become set in their ways early in life. And the “ways” are, in large part, ones they've learned from others. Over the years we've learned a lot about human behavior and the factors that influence it, recognizing that there are many we're powerless to control. One of the most important of the factors relates to the people around us and their views.

Another song sheds light on the problem. The words are by Oscar Hammerstein II, and they come from “South Pacific.” “You've got to be taught” points out the effectiveness of early education. “You've got to be taught before it's too late, before you are six or seven or eight.” And it is during this period that we poison our children, while at the same time warning them about playing with the “wrong” friends.

Riff, apparently, was conditioned both at home and in the schoolyard, and he continued to associate with those who would reinforce the dangerous ideas he had already learned. Having been taught the behavior he displays, he should not, in a modern country like ours, be held responsible for it – or at least the faulty upbringing and the lessons it fed him should be viewed as extenuating circumstances and excuse any punishment due him. At least that's what he believes. Certainly such a childhood is just as likely to cause deviations from civilized normsⁱⁱ as Twinkies.ⁱⁱⁱ

There are at least two bottom lines to this situation: one is that no one is responsible for anything he does. It's not his fault. There is always an outside influence like a person or a condition^iv of some sort that is the guilty party.^v It's certainly not him. And the second is that early childhood education is largely responsible for people's behavior later in life. The song from “South Pacific” tells us what we must be taught: “to hate all the people your relatives hate, you've got to be carefully taught.” Children taught to hate and fear^vi will hate and fear. And chances are good that they'll inculcate in their children the same biases and paranoia.

Without spending unwarranted time on how disdain for responsibility affects the children, a subject which I may address in a future post, there are a few suggestions I'd like to make which may, at least to a degree, mitigate the situation. Thus all include education.^vii Certainly there are other treatments which should be applied, but for the sake of this essay I want to limit my thoughts to the education.

Parents – or future parents – should be taught parenting skills. No such subject was taught in the “olden” days,^viii but in our modern urban society, these skills seem lacking in many of the people who, willingly or otherwise, become parents. It is likely that not too many will participate voluntarily, but this kind of education can be made a part of the package that includes the spectrum of “entitlements” proffered to those who require them, and can be a condition for the receipt of other aid.^ix Apart from parenting, adults should be taught a variety of other subjects which directly involve their own lives and those of their children. These may include nutrition, sex education, civics and money management. The level of the teaching should be tailored to the group involved.

Classes can be given in a variety of places – public buildings where benefits are distributed, social centers, schools offering adult education, and even prisons. It would be naїve to believe that all who are urged or forced to attend them will do so, or that all who attend will benefit from them, but to the degree that attention is paid to the material offered, there is likely to be some improvement in behavior and some help for the children of participants.

Similar material, adjusted for the age of the students, should become part of the curriculum of both public and private^x schools. Giving the classes in several grades will emphasize the importance of the material presented and allow for the elevation of the level of the education as the children get older.^xi Much of this material is already being presented but repackaging it in the form of family skills may make it more interesting to some of the students. And, as is true with all teaching, its repetition improves the likelihood of its retention.

Bad parents treat their children in a way that is likely to turn them into bad parents as well. It's the curse that keeps on cursing. The profits society can realize from children who are carefully taught the right lessons cannot be overstated. Whatever can be done to break the cycle will provide benefits and cost savings that are certain to exceed the costs incurred in the programs that yield them. Perhaps it will help both the deprived and the depraved.

Next episode: “The Great Debate” – It ain't what you say but the way that you say it.

 

 

 

 

 

I        And maybe we do too. We know for certain that he'll make use of the free pass he expects.

ii       Which is certainly not to suggest that something is proper because it is a societal norm.

iii      Actually Dan White didn't claim that the Twinkies and other sweets he ate made him murder George Moscone and Harvey Milk, but that his taste for them resulted from depression (indeed, they proved that he was depressed) and the depression lowered his responsibility for whatever he did.

iv      That includes issues as diverse as genetics, poverty, life experiences, and Twinkies.

v        I'll deal with that issue at a future date.

vi       A good example is the inclusion in textbooks supplied to Palestinian children by their hate-filled elders, a large body of anti-Israeli (and anti-semitic) propaganda which amplifies the malevolence they are taught elsewhere. In general, prejudice is learned at home, but school and teachers may influence it greatly – as may biased friends.

vii      Since I'm finessing the “guilt” issue.

viii     Nor did it seem necessary. Perhaps we ignored the issue, or perhaps people were more civil in a less advanced civilization.

ix       That is not to suggest that those who do not require welfare don't need better training in parenting skills – only that we have less leverage to involve them.

x        That may be one way to get through to those not requiring welfare payments.

xi       Age-appropriate videos could even be shown at Day Care Centers in order to give small children a head start.