Good morning Folks, how was your morning cup of java? I have to admit, mine was somewhat bitter. (And not because it was Nescafe “Frothe” cappuccino, although that in itself is enough to make one feel more anxious than Tom Daschle’s secretary on mail day.)
No, it was the headlining article on page D1 of Tuesday the 8th’s Wall Street Journal that made me sick this dreary morning. “The ‘Re-Engineered’ Child,” an article by Andrea Petersen, takes a look at a recent trend in public education. The enclosed picture of the article shows students at Candor Elementary in Candor, N.Y. singing and acting out the “Don’t laugh at me” song. “I’m a little boy with glasses, the one they call a geek. A little girl who never smiles ‘cuz I’ve got braces on my teeth.....”
This cross-country crusade, one that attempts to “make children nicer, discourage bullying, and discourage anti-social behavior,” is not limited to states such as New York and California, as you might expect. According to Mrs. Petersen, in some Louisiana schools, being seen playing alone is enough proof of suicidal tendencies for the child to be sent to mandatory counseling. Schools across the country are adopting programs of this sort. “You can’t say ‘You can’t play’” and “Names can really hurt us” are such efforts by schools to encourage the self-edification and sensitivity training that leaders see as essential to a healthy environment at school.
Ok, so kids being nice is a perfectly fine idea, but the fact of the matter is school is for the education of youth, not the creation of model citizens. This indoctrination of tolerant ideas is to some extent brainwashing that is not appropriate for public education. The strong effort of the schools to raise American children for there parents is extremely harmful, because though “being nice to everyone” is right, it is NOT alright to take the responsibility of the parents of training their children the way they should go away from them. Also, kids should be allowed to grow up, and make their own mistakes in order to learn from them. If a child is sheltered from all the bullies and gossips in the world, they’ll never learn not to act the same way on there own. If a child is taught well by their parents, they will be able to handle the situations that are presented in everyday life. Elementary support groups (with names like “self esteem” and “anger management”) are just plain silly. Discipline should be strong enough in the schools to control real problems like violence and drugs, but just because Billy called me “Stupidhead” doesn’t mean he should have to take a sensitivity class. That’s an issue between Billy and Billy’s parents. Making children all interact among themselves without cliques and bullies will not prevent Columbine highschools, because acceptance will not solve the real problems.
....and Billy? You’re a boogerhead.