Is America in moral decline? Morality is broad and complicated to measure, mainly because moral standards are set differently for each individual. Most Americans agree, on the whole, that we are much more tolerant of behavior than we were a generation ago. The circumstances, objects and use of jargon we are exposed to today do not seem to bother most of us; these would have caused my parents much despair as they grew up. For example, sex on television is accepted by today's audience as typical, but until the 1980s you could hardly say the word “sex” on television without being condemned. Yes, America is currently in a rapid decline in moral values. More specifically, teenage and single women having children today are at an all-time high in America. In 1960, fewer than one in ten births occurred to single mothers. By 2007, that number had risen to 40 percent of all births. Among women under twenty, 70% of all births are to single mothers. Unfortunately, a considerable body of evidence indicates that children born out of wedlock are more likely to suffer from a variety of ills. Birth out of wedlock appears to increase the child's propensity for poor health, poverty, criminal activity, dropping out of school, being on welfare, and being a single parent himself (Stonebaker). In short, out-of-wedlock births often create excessive costs both for society and for the children themselves. Are we as a nation giving an incentive and/or excuse for these actions? Furthermore, violence is everywhere we turn. Families who shoot their loved ones, gangs who kill for trifles, school children who bully to the point that the victims commit... middle of paper... t positive effects persist: students have higher self-esteem, participate more more extracurricular activities and were less likely to use drugs and alcohol. Similar results were found in South Dakota after character counting was implemented. Crime decreased from 31% to 56% between 1998 and 2000. Suspensions dropped 28% (Battistich). Above all, our great nation needs rebirth to curb moral decay, which manifests itself through lifestyles, drug use, teenage pregnancy, divorce, violence and lazy behavior. Our children are our future and require character education in today's schools. There is no need to make it a religious issue, it is just a matter of knowing what is right and what is wrong and what are the consequences that follow all decisions. We all hope and work for a future of positive attitudes, strong work ethic, solidarity, peace and happiness; it can happen!