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

The mass nightmare I fear is the current pollutedever happens on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday? Just
environment we have allowed to completelyMonday and Wednesdays!) The debate has gotten to
encompass our school aged children. To trulythe point, and this is what I am calling my second
understand this environment entirely, allow me to firstnightmare, where we are asking whether or not our
state these three individual nightmares completely andteachers should be armed in order to protect their
seemingly separate and distinct. However theyclassrooms! Now just for the moment, remember
collectively create the magnitude and far reachingback with me, what did the school board say to you
influence of the environment I am referring to. I am notwhen you suggested that you would home school
attempting to be an alarmist or simply trying to frightenyour kids to put a stop to all this school violence being
you in the spirit of the season of Halloween. Thisaround your children? Don't you remember? Just
environment is truly a nightmare and you too willincase you don't let me remind you. "Oh now, Mrs.
experience its frightening effects sooner or later withSmith 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 thathome 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 thisthe present with me; but pistol packing teachers is less
happening whenever a news agency has the twoextreme and a more progressive of an idea and
major political parties on a talk-show to discuss andsolution to school violence? I truly hope someone can
answer questions. When one side, and it truly doesn'tcomes up with a much better method to ending the
matter which side, because they both do it, is asked tomajority of school violence other then by arming our
answer to something that they are either ashamed ofteachers. Otherwise, there will be many more children
or something they know will come across as negativehome schooled, and less in the classroom to worry
to the majority of viewers; what do they do? Theyabout who's armed and who isn't.
excuse their admittedly bad behavior, choice or actionThe third and final nightmare I wish to speak of also
by pointing out something the other party has done ordeals with our children's school system. Towards the
said wrong in the past. And just because the otherend of last year's school season, several school
side did this bad 'thing', their fault or blame isn'tdistricts reported that several pre-teen's had been
addressed separately as it should be. They hope itcaught 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 ayou remember hearing about this? When the other
'he said-she-did-they thought they would do' type ofstudents on the bus were asked what they thought
argument and the main point gets lost in the wholeabout the whole incident, it was reported that they
carefully orchestrated and skillful executed shuffle ofreplied with, "the couples (having sex) had been 'going
blame. Because this is purposely done to evade anyout' for almost three or four months, so it just seems
blame or shame being put on them or 'their side' we asokay, I guess". After this truly disturbing revelation as to
adults are forced to parse actions and verbiage just tothe 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. Wetough questions, the kids went on to report that both
adults are left to raise our children to be goodof the couple's parents were "real religious" and
upstanding individuals in light of all the truly bad rolewouldn'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 oflets add to it this years recent school board reporting
dishonesty what type of good and uprightness are wethat several school districts out east have agreed that
parents referring to? Are we referring to the truethey will provide 10 and 11 year old girls with birth
traditional goodness or the newly constructedcontrol pills and abortion counseling, all without the
goodness of our clever political leaders doing theparents 'direct' permission! I say 'direct' because the
blame shuffle? If anyone thinks our kids can't seeschool board stated that if a parent gave permission
through this blame game shuffle, then they are notfor the health worker to give their child an aspirin when
listening to our kid's discussion whenever they think anneeded, it was considered the same with regards to
adult is not present. Don't we understand that if thisgiving birth control or abortion counseling!
type of dishonesty is allowed to continue and to existThis is how I see our teen-age children handling the
as an example for our kids what ill effects it will havefollowing 'average daily' situation in light of these three
on them? What has happened to the days when ournightmares. The conversation might go something like
political leaders were the 'cream of the crop' and trulythis…
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 seriousfamily car home while I was so drunk last night; I'm
problem on our hands? Someone needs to informsorry BUT... Because I didnt want to be home so late
these political leaders that the phrase 'I'm sorry' whenand cause you and Dad to worry sooo much, AND
paired up and ended with the word BUT... null and voidsbecause my sister Susan was too busy having sex in
the whole phrase. We aren't asking for them to bethe backseat with her boyfriend and wouldn't even
'angels', just honest and forthright because they are astop 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 bycomical sounding to you? Not to me either, not by a
most parents. The nightmare of students and/orlong-shot!
lunatics going into our children's school and shooting theHowever, what do you think they have learned by
place up. This activity hasn't stopped with just 'a fewwatching and listening to our cleverly, slippery
isolated incidents' as the police and school leaderspoliticians? Do you truly understand the collective
would have us to believe. No, it has continued to growmagnitude and far reaching influence of the
across the nation and has happen more often and inenvironment I am referring to now? Will our children do
more 'average' types of schools. Where it would notas is 'acceptable' today, or will they do as we raised
have been a problem we have emulation want-a-be'sthem? Only time will tell because as far reaching as
and copy-cats. It is truly frightening many parents intothis destructive environment is, it is equally deceptive
coming up with other means and methods to protectand loaded in favor of the school systems, not you
their children. What has our school board leaders comeand your child. So, as I was saying, I thought I was
up with, other than having metal detectors and morehaving nightmares, but then I realized that I wasn't
security officer's in our schools on Monday andasleep and I hope you aren't either.
Wednesdays? (BTW did you know that nothing bad