SMALL VICTORIES

Well break out the champaign we've had a victory for decency in our culture. They took down the "NO SNOOPING WHEN SOMEONE'S POOPING "  and the "NO SEEING WHEN SOMEONE'S PEEING" signs. I do thank them for this from the bottom of my heart. The schools really are the future of America and I certainly don't want to live in a world where our public discourse is brought down to rude and vulgar levels. It did take letters to the school board before this happened. Letters to the principal and the superintendent alone didn't do the job.

As I mentioned the schools really are the future of America. Those of us over the age of 50 remember making American flags for Washington's birthday and stove pipe hats for Lincoln's birthday. In fact, we had these days off school. We learned to love our country and to love our American heros and what they stood for. What did they stand for? Integrity, respect, hard work, tenacity, personal discipline, fairness, and righteousness were some of the character traits they stood for. They dressed with dignity and they acted with dignity.  No one hated America in those days. We recognized America as a place where the problems we had were solved. We fought and died for freedom in the Revolutionary War, and justice for the oppressed in the Civil War and World War II. What are children being taught in school today? They are being taught special interests for the purposes of those with special interests.

I watched the movie "PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS" last night. In this movie Will Smith had a young son and no money. He was trying to make it in the world as a stock broker. He was pursuing his happiness, his American dream. At one point he was so poor  that he had to go with his son to a shelter. Why? Because the last $500.00 he had in the world was taken out of his account by the government to pay back taxes. My favorite part of the movie was how he never gave up, how he believed that he could make his own opportunity and he did. I'm guessing the liberals favorite part of this movie would be the long line at the shelter. What they see is that we need more shelters, what I see is that we need to build more characters like Will Smith.

The Helena School District superintendent presented the new plan for the new BOND at Hometown Helena Thursday morning. His plan includes early childhood education to work training. It includes "Community involvement" and healthy lifestyles. He's planning to the year 2074! They will feed children, daycare children and provide mental health assessment. I can see that this BOND, or school borrowing, will not be only for buildings as it has been in the past. We will now be borrowing to support nonprofits in the school district. They are already saying "Youth Connections of the Helena Public Schools". Youth Connections is already housed at the public schools and has a school district  email. As I have mentioned on this blog before, Intermountain and Head Start are also housed in our schools. The Myrna Loy uses our schools as a fundraiser every year through the arts program, Big Brother's and Big Sister's takes kids out of class at both the high school and the elementary schools, Planned Parenthood has clubs at both our high schools and is so heavily into education now that they have an education administrator.  Food Share now shows up on Fridays and sends home food for the weekend at at least 2 elementary schools and they are of course planning more ( I thought we were giving free food to all income levels at Bryant so they wouldn't feel singled out and embarrassed (which they never were), so isn't it embarrassing to go down to the office and get a sack to lug home?).  The schools now of course do food drives as well, Exploration Works has the kids farming and Youth Connections has appointed themselves mental health experts ( they screened all 9-12th graders this year for "mental health"). This is just a list of a few of the participants, I'm sure I must be missing many, but the point is , WHAT ARE WE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN?

Well, if I was in those schools I would be learning that absolutely no one can make it on their own. I would be learning that I couldn't even make it through the day without my water bottle by my side and snacks. I would be learning that the government provides food and all other needs and that the government determines what correct attitudes and values are. I might think if I didn't get on board that I would be singled out by Youth Connections as being mentally or emotionally deficient. Youth Connections is sponsoring a "World Renowned" author for a presentation at Helena Middle School ( Which I'm pretty sure kids throughout the district will be taken out of class to attend) on the Bully, the Bullied and the BYSTANDER. Get it- you can't just ignore this you have to be on their wave length or you're the problem. Remember, the bully program was lobbied for at the legislature by Gay Pride, Human Rights Network, and the ACLU among others. This isn't just about bullying.

So freedom today is a politically correct freedom. It is also a freedom without responsibility. What are we doing to our Will Smith's (Chris Gardner in the movie) of tomorrow? Will they have the examples and heros that teach them to survive? If they grow up thinking they can pull the victim card and the government will provide they just ought to talk to a few of the homeless today- anywhere. Life doesn't work that way.There's not enough money in the world to make a person successful who doesn't understand that he has to provide for himself and find his own happiness.

I'm really happy that they took the signs down at Hawthorne School, it's a step in the right direction away from vulgarity, but we have a long way to go in teaching our children the values of personal fortitude that will give them a successful tomorrow. Families teach these things in spite of the schools, but those students that don't get it from the family may end up in a world of hurt as they try to climb the ladder of success, especially if they're poor like Chris Gardner. These kids have spent a great deal of their school time not learning to read too.