Since the ‘60s our democratic and classless society has come up with an ever increasing and evolving list of labels to stick on our children.  Children being children soon grow down to the expectation of their identification and our society loses its moral compass.

 

It used to be children learned social skills and respect in Sunday religious services which were reinforced in the home.  Children were taught how to behave in public and schools.  Parents impressed on their children the need for an education and provided the environment to learn and develop.

 

Now, after many years of social experimentation, we continue to throw millions of dollars into the maw that is our education system and still “Johnny” can’t read.  Teachers are required to stand in loco parentis teaching a politically correct curriculum.  

 

So now it is “disadvantaged children” needing more money and a special learning environment.  We are creating tomorrow’s generation of children who will live down to their identification maturing into physical adults giving birth to more children living down to their label.  Where is the legitimate societal expectation that people bringing children into the world will educate and nurture them to become productive members of society?

 

Washington State shows a 2000 census of 5,894,143 and a 2004 estimate of 6,167,800.  The Department of Social and Health Services budget is nearly $8 billion, representing almost one-third of the state budget, and serves 20% of the population.  44% of this budget is funded by the state general fund with the remainder picked up by “other”.  The DSHS offers services in the Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Laotian, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, and English languages.

 

There is something dreadfully wrong with this picture and we need to knock it off and get our priorities straight.  Parents need to be parents, Teachers need to be teachers, and children should be given the opportunity to grow to their fullest potential without a multiplicity of government levels patting them on the head and telling them it’s ok to be illiterate, ill mannered, and a burden to society.