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