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I Thought I Was Having Nightmares But Then I Realized I Wasn't Asleep!

The mass nightmare I fear is the currentbad ever happens on Tuesday, Thursday or
polluted environment we have allowed toFriday? Just Monday and Wednesdays!) The
completely encompass our school ageddebate has gotten to the point, and this is
children. To truly understand thiswhat I am calling my second nightmare, where
environment entirely, allow me to first statewe are asking whether or not our teachers
these three individual nightmares completelyshould be armed in order to protect their
and seemingly separate and distinct. Howeverclassrooms! Now just for the moment, remember
they collectively create the magnitude andback with me, what did the school board say
far reaching influence of the environment Ito you when you suggested that you would home
am referring to. I am not attempting to be anschool your kids to put a stop to all this
alarmist or simply trying to frighten you inschool violence being around your children?
the spirit of the season of Halloween. ThisDon't you remember? Just incase you don't let
environment is truly a nightmare and you toome remind you. "Oh now, Mrs. Smith don't you
will experience its frightening effectsthink that this is a bit overdone? Don't you
sooner  or  later  with  your  children.think that you giving up your day job and
staying home with your children and teaching
The first nightmare I refer to doesn't soundthem is just a bit 'old-fashioned' and
all that frightening and it seems more of aextreme? Okay, now, jump back to the present
pet-peeve rather than a real problem. Lately,with me; but pistol packing teachers is less
I have noticed this happening whenever a newsextreme and a more progressive of an idea and
agency has the two major political parties onsolution to school violence? I truly hope
a talk-show to discuss and answer questions.someone can comes up with a much better
When one side, and it truly doesn't mattermethod to ending the majority of school
which side, because they both do it, is askedviolence other then by arming our teachers.
to answer to something that they are eitherOtherwise, there will be many more children
ashamed of or something they know will comehome schooled, and less in the classroom to
across as negative to the majority ofworry  about  who's  armed  and  who  isn't.
viewers; what do they do? They excuse their
admittedly bad behavior, choice or action byThe third and final nightmare I wish to speak
pointing out something the other party hasof also deals with our children's school
done or said wrong in the past. And justsystem. Towards the end of last year's school
because the other side did this bad 'thing',season, several school districts reported
their fault or blame isn't addressedthat several pre-teen's had been caught
separately as it should be. They hope it getshaving sexual intercourse on their school bus
lost in the shuffle they have created. Worston the way to school as well as on the way
yet, the news people continue to allow it andhome. Do you remember hearing about this?
it turns into a 'he said-she-did-they thoughtWhen the other students on the bus were asked
they would do' type of argument and the mainwhat they thought about the whole incident,
point gets lost in the whole carefullyit was reported that they replied with, "the
orchestrated and skillful executed shuffle ofcouples (having sex) had been 'going out' for
blame. Because this is purposely done toalmost three or four months, so it just seems
evade any blame or shame being put on them orokay, I guess". After this truly disturbing
'their side' we as adults are forced to parserevelation as to the mass morality of many
actions and verbiage just to be able toschool aged children; as well as in the light
declare one side the victor, of the moment,of how our politicians answer the tough
just to have some sort of purpose andquestions, the kids went on to report that
closure. We adults are left to raise ourboth of the couple's parents were "real
children to be good upstanding individuals inreligious" and wouldn't allow that at either
light of all the truly bad role modelof their homes so... (Imagine that...) Now,
examples around them. What do we or should wekeep this nightmare in mind and lets add to
do? What I wonder is in the midst of thisit this years recent school board reporting
type of dishonesty what type of good andthat several school districts out east have
uprightness are we parents referring to? Areagreed that they will provide 10 and 11 year
we referring to the true traditional goodnessold girls with birth control pills and
or the newly constructed goodness of ourabortion counseling, all without the parents
clever political leaders doing the blame'direct' permission! I say 'direct' because
shuffle? If anyone thinks our kids can't seethe school board stated that if a parent gave
through this blame game shuffle, then theypermission for the health worker to give
are not listening to our kid's discussiontheir child an aspirin when needed, it was
whenever they think an adult is not present.considered the same with regards to giving
Don't we understand that if this type ofbirth  control  or  abortion  counseling!
dishonesty is allowed to continue and to
exist as an example for our kids what illThis is how I see our teen-age children
effects it will have on them? What hashandling the following 'average daily'
happened to the days when our politicalsituation in light of these three nightmares.
leaders were the 'cream of the crop' andThe conversation might go something like
truly a positive role model for our children?this…
Was it all a clever lie or do we have a
'newer' more serious problem on our hands?"Yes Mom and Dad I know I shouldn't have
Someone needs to inform these politicaldriven the family car home while I was so
leaders that the phrase 'I'm sorry' whendrunk last night; I'm sorry BUT... Because I
paired up and ended with the word BUT... nulldidnt want to be home so late and cause you
and voids the whole phrase. We aren't askingand Dad to worry sooo much, AND because my
for them to be 'angels', just honest andsister Susan was too busy having sex in the
forthright because they are a role model forbackseat with her boyfriend and wouldn't even
children. Just because political party-A- didstop long enough to drive us home on time,
such and such, doesn't excuse politicaland so yes, I did drive drunk, sorry BUT if
party-B's- wrong actions sometime in the nearonly…"! Or any other unacceptable
future!explanation to this same effect. Acceptable
to you? Not to me either! Is this comical
My second nightmare is easy to quicklysounding to you? Not to me either, not by a
understand by most parents. The nightmare oflong-shot!
students and/or lunatics going into our
children's school and shooting the place up.However, what do you think they have learned
This activity hasn't stopped with just 'a fewby watching and listening to our cleverly,
isolated incidents' as the police and schoolslippery politicians? Do you truly understand
leaders would have us to believe. No, it hasthe collective magnitude and far reaching
continued to grow across the nation and hasinfluence of the environment I am referring
happen more often and in more 'average' typesto now? Will our children do as is
of schools. Where it would not have been a'acceptable' today, or will they do as we
problem we have emulation want-a-be's andraised them? Only time will tell because as
copy-cats. It is truly frightening manyfar reaching as this destructive environment
parents into coming up with other means andis, it is equally deceptive and loaded in
methods to protect their children. What hasfavor of the school systems, not you and your
our school board leaders come up with, otherchild. So, as I was saying, I thought I was
than having metal detectors and more securityhaving nightmares, but then I realized that I
officer's in our schools on Monday andwasn't asleep and I hope you aren't either.
Wednesdays? (BTW did you know that nothing



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