Friday, July 25, 2008

And now we have yet another commentary from coulmnist Thomas Elias discussing the dropout rate. He too agress that the earlier figures were far too low. According to Mr. elias, we are somewhere around the 33% mark but Mayor antonio Villagarosa of LA says that's not correct. He maintains we are in the 50% are higher vicinity. Wow! That's abad neighborhood to be in. There is plenty of blame to go around, but allow me to begin with the lack of parental supervision. I've had children and I know when I don't know where they are, who they are hanging with, and what they are doing, bad things may happen. Why? Because most children do not engage good decision making until they reach 18 or 30! Times have changed and with the changing times have come changed attitudes. Today's youth do not have the same values and the term "politeness" is extinct unless and until we as a nation demand courtesy. We have met the enemy and he is us (apologies to POGO), because we are not raising our children with any consistency and we are teaching them to be all about themselves! Yes, of course there are still many wonderful parents who do believe in values and do believe in character building, but it has to extend to the schools that are so nervous about the standardss and in the case of California and about 22 other states, the dreaded exit exams. What are our leaders thinking when they sacrifice our children to prove that we are teaching them something when what we are teaching them is not what they should be learning?> When you figure out what I just wrote, call me and explain it to me? Only kidding, I know what I said and I mean every damn word of it! We need to teach values to those that don;t get this vital information and to those who do, we need to reinforce and reiterate because nothing is as important to entering adulthood as an understanding of what is right and wrong. period.

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