| The mass nightmare I fear is the current | | | | bad ever happens on Tuesday, Thursday or |
| polluted environment we have allowed to | | | | Friday? Just Monday and Wednesdays!) The |
| completely encompass our school aged | | | | debate has gotten to the point, and this is |
| children. To truly understand this | | | | what I am calling my second nightmare, where |
| environment entirely, allow me to first state | | | | we are asking whether or not our teachers |
| these three individual nightmares completely | | | | should be armed in order to protect their |
| and seemingly separate and distinct. However | | | | classrooms! Now just for the moment, remember |
| they collectively create the magnitude and | | | | back with me, what did the school board say |
| far reaching influence of the environment I | | | | to you when you suggested that you would home |
| am referring to. I am not attempting to be an | | | | school your kids to put a stop to all this |
| alarmist or simply trying to frighten you in | | | | school violence being around your children? |
| the spirit of the season of Halloween. This | | | | Don't you remember? Just incase you don't let |
| environment is truly a nightmare and you too | | | | me remind you. "Oh now, Mrs. Smith don't you |
| will experience its frightening effects | | | | think 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 sound | | | | them is just a bit 'old-fashioned' and |
| all that frightening and it seems more of a | | | | extreme? 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 news | | | | extreme and a more progressive of an idea and |
| agency has the two major political parties on | | | | solution 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 matter | | | | method to ending the majority of school |
| which side, because they both do it, is asked | | | | violence other then by arming our teachers. |
| to answer to something that they are either | | | | Otherwise, there will be many more children |
| ashamed of or something they know will come | | | | home schooled, and less in the classroom to |
| across as negative to the majority of | | | | worry about who's armed and who isn't. |
| viewers; what do they do? They excuse their | | | | |
| admittedly bad behavior, choice or action by | | | | The third and final nightmare I wish to speak |
| pointing out something the other party has | | | | of also deals with our children's school |
| done or said wrong in the past. And just | | | | system. 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 addressed | | | | that several pre-teen's had been caught |
| separately as it should be. They hope it gets | | | | having sexual intercourse on their school bus |
| lost in the shuffle they have created. Worst | | | | on the way to school as well as on the way |
| yet, the news people continue to allow it and | | | | home. Do you remember hearing about this? |
| it turns into a 'he said-she-did-they thought | | | | When the other students on the bus were asked |
| they would do' type of argument and the main | | | | what they thought about the whole incident, |
| point gets lost in the whole carefully | | | | it was reported that they replied with, "the |
| orchestrated and skillful executed shuffle of | | | | couples (having sex) had been 'going out' for |
| blame. Because this is purposely done to | | | | almost three or four months, so it just seems |
| evade any blame or shame being put on them or | | | | okay, I guess". After this truly disturbing |
| 'their side' we as adults are forced to parse | | | | revelation as to the mass morality of many |
| actions and verbiage just to be able to | | | | school 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 and | | | | questions, the kids went on to report that |
| closure. We adults are left to raise our | | | | both of the couple's parents were "real |
| children to be good upstanding individuals in | | | | religious" and wouldn't allow that at either |
| light of all the truly bad role model | | | | of their homes so... (Imagine that...) Now, |
| examples around them. What do we or should we | | | | keep this nightmare in mind and lets add to |
| do? What I wonder is in the midst of this | | | | it this years recent school board reporting |
| type of dishonesty what type of good and | | | | that several school districts out east have |
| uprightness are we parents referring to? Are | | | | agreed that they will provide 10 and 11 year |
| we referring to the true traditional goodness | | | | old girls with birth control pills and |
| or the newly constructed goodness of our | | | | abortion 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 see | | | | the school board stated that if a parent gave |
| through this blame game shuffle, then they | | | | permission for the health worker to give |
| are not listening to our kid's discussion | | | | their 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 of | | | | birth control or abortion counseling! |
| dishonesty is allowed to continue and to | | | | |
| exist as an example for our kids what ill | | | | This is how I see our teen-age children |
| effects it will have on them? What has | | | | handling the following 'average daily' |
| happened to the days when our political | | | | situation in light of these three nightmares. |
| leaders were the 'cream of the crop' and | | | | The 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 political | | | | driven the family car home while I was so |
| leaders that the phrase 'I'm sorry' when | | | | drunk last night; I'm sorry BUT... Because I |
| paired up and ended with the word BUT... null | | | | didnt want to be home so late and cause you |
| and voids the whole phrase. We aren't asking | | | | and Dad to worry sooo much, AND because my |
| for them to be 'angels', just honest and | | | | sister Susan was too busy having sex in the |
| forthright because they are a role model for | | | | backseat with her boyfriend and wouldn't even |
| children. Just because political party-A- did | | | | stop long enough to drive us home on time, |
| such and such, doesn't excuse political | | | | and so yes, I did drive drunk, sorry BUT if |
| party-B's- wrong actions sometime in the near | | | | only…"! 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 quickly | | | | sounding to you? Not to me either, not by a |
| understand by most parents. The nightmare of | | | | long-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 few | | | | by watching and listening to our cleverly, |
| isolated incidents' as the police and school | | | | slippery politicians? Do you truly understand |
| leaders would have us to believe. No, it has | | | | the collective magnitude and far reaching |
| continued to grow across the nation and has | | | | influence of the environment I am referring |
| happen more often and in more 'average' types | | | | to 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 and | | | | raised them? Only time will tell because as |
| copy-cats. It is truly frightening many | | | | far reaching as this destructive environment |
| parents into coming up with other means and | | | | is, it is equally deceptive and loaded in |
| methods to protect their children. What has | | | | favor of the school systems, not you and your |
| our school board leaders come up with, other | | | | child. So, as I was saying, I thought I was |
| than having metal detectors and more security | | | | having nightmares, but then I realized that I |
| officer's in our schools on Monday and | | | | wasn't asleep and I hope you aren't either. |
| Wednesdays? (BTW did you know that nothing | | | | |