That would be my answer. That is the biggest problems with kids today, they are not willing to listen or respect their parents.
No, the biggest problem with kids today is that so many parents are not worth of respect, and all too often, listening to them would constitute conspiracy to commit an illegal act.
I can't count the number of times I've forgotten to get out of the cafe before the bars close, and had to wade through the crowds of drunks who could barely walk dragging in small children after midnight. One can only assume they were left with a relative for the night's carousing.
I did some temp work with a nearby mental health facility, and I got to see a lot of the problems firsthand; it's a real eye-opener when you realize how many of these "juvenile delinquents" picked up their bad habits, ranging from drugs to sexual promiscuity (OK, that one's normal for teenagers, but even I was a lot pickier than some of them are) to theft and violence, from their parents.
While the parents in the OPs story don't seem to be anything like those, hunting rifles rusting in the garage sure sounds like a lack of responsibility. Any significant number would represent a fair investment left to fall into ruin due to lack of care. It's like laying out hundred dollar bills in the oven to see how long they survive. That's not something they should teach their kids by word or by example.
Every time you do or say something as a parent, you should look at what it will mean to your kids; $700 worth of excecise bike and treadmill gathering dust tells them it's OK to waste money, and it's OK to give up on things that should be important to you. Fighting over trivial things, making snap decisions based on emotion rather than facts, getting drunk while they're around, any form of dishonesty, and many other things will all make an impression, regardless of how you tell them to act.
And, by the way, some of us have another word for "snarky:" it's called "honest."
