November 7, 1962
Dear Mrs. Dooley,
I think the thing that determines the behavior of a person is the way he is brought up by his parents and guided by his teachers.
Just this summer I saw a little boy about four years old throw a piece of chrome at a moving car. His mother stood right next to him, saw the whole thing and made no attempt to correct or reprimand him. She just acted as if her son had done nothing at all. It made me think of what that child would be like in ten years from now. He would probably think nothing of robbing, destroying and maybe even killing. If that mother would have taken a minute out to tell him it is wrong to do these things, she could had made a big improvement in his character which may determine whether he will be a successful person or he will spend a great deal of his life in jail.
I also feel that the parents have an obligation to stay at home and make sure their children get a proper education. Today a lot of parents go to work and come home exhausted, therefore don't care what their children do or where they go. The result is the children hang around the street corner and make troublemakers of themselves. Then the next day if there is a test they will just copy from their friends and pass. And when it is time for the teacher to collect the homework they will simply say "I don't have it". If the teacher says "alright it's going to effect your mark", they couldn't care less. But if the teacher were to keep them in after school for lack of homework, and the parents had an interest in the homework then the children would begin to realize their obligation to do their work. If the students would stay in every weekday night and do homework and more studying, they could then enjoy their weekends knowing they were having fun and also climbing the ladder of success. They would keep their mind on what is of their concern and something they could do nothing about, and also know they were going to make a better future for them selves and for others.
Sincerely yours,
? Guess Who
P.S. Another instance of how parents influence their children-----I would never have thought about writing to you, if my mother hadn't coaxed me into doing it. She reads your page each week in Ave maria and reports it to the rest of the family.
see the response below written 6 months later:
May 12, 1963
Dear ?,
When going through my files, it occurred to me that you might like to have your contribution to the "teen age contest" returned.
Thank you very much for entering, and for your very thoughtful comments on parents, with which I agree.
I'm just sorry that everyone could not be a winner.
God bless you always,
Kate Dooley
PS. My very best regards to your mother. I'm happy to know that she likes the Ave Maria. KTD
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