text: kids and patriotism these days...? today we had an early release day at our school. i was very displeased to find about 12 kids sitting down, throwing lugeys at each other, and cursing constantly. when it was time for the national anthem, they didn't bother to get up. i held them all back at the ceremony. they were writing all over their arms, and i can't tell you how many anarchy signs, pentagrams(it looked kind of funny the way they drew it; it looked like there was a heart in the middle but still pretty suggestive.), and other things i saw. this is crazy! not only do they not care about religion, but they don't care about patriotism. what is wrong with these kids? the adolescent years are often periods of rebellion for many teens. after dwelling under their parents' roofs, adhering to their rules and 'accepting' their values as their own, many resort to unruliness and misbehavior as a means of asserting their own independence. it's important not to take this too seriously since many times it's simply an attempt at 'fitting in' with their fellow peers and doesn't necessarily stem from any core, lastng value or belief.  it can be extremely difficult to comprehend their behavior, primarily because, at this stage, the values of teens and adults differ considerably. don't worry :). when they grow up and finally begin to mature mentally and emotionally, their irresponsible behavior will decline significantly. soon their actions will change and they will begin exuding more 'mature', adult characteristics---hopefully more reflective of their years :).