What did Past Presidents Say? #1

  

  With Election Day drawing closer, I thought it might be interesting to explore what some of our past Presidents had to say.  It seems appropriate to begin with our first president, George Washington, who was concerned enough by what he called "The common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party" to sound a warning in his Farewell Address.  The following quote explains the concerns Washington had about the dangers of Americans adhering too closely to political parties rather than judging for themselves after careful consideration.   

Washington warned:  "It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another; ferments occasionally riot and insurrection.  It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passion.  ...A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest instead of warning, it should consume."

From the time of Washington's presidency to the present, political parties have come and gone, but the power and influence of political parties have remained.  His words continue to deserve consideration. 

    We sometimes forget the bravery of our founding fathers, who literally risked their lives to establish the federal government of the United States of America, and the Constitution that has guided our nation.  One of those men was John Langdon of New Hampshire.  James Madison described Langdon as "a true patriot and a good man, with a noble way of thinking and a frankness and warmth of heart that made his friends love him much, as it did me in a high degree."  While many of us may not recognize his name, his generosity and wisdom have played an important role in the founding of our nation.  He served his state of New Hampshire in many roles, but his words are important in considering the importance of the roles played by both states and our nation.  John Langdon said:  "The General and State Governments are not enemies to each other, but different institutions for the good of the people of America.  As one of the people, I can say the National Government is mine, the State Government is mine.  In transferring power from one to the other, I only take out of my left hand what it cannot so well use, and put it into my right hand where it can be better used."

    I find it very important to reflect on the amazing courage and wisdom of our founding fathers.  On June 19, 2024, I shared A Patriate Sometimes Overlooked, describing the role played by John Marshall in shaping our Supreme Court.  You might enjoy scrolling back to that post. 

    Next week I will post thoughts from other past presidents.   

        

What is Education?

A Sod School House

 My great grandmother, Susan Beck, was the first country schoolteacher in the community where I grew up.  She had taught school before coming to Kansas, and when neighbors learned that there was a teacher in the community, they asked her to teach their children.  She had two young children, so she felt that was the most important responsibility for her, but as soon as her children were old enough to be brought to school with her, she agreed to begin teaching, although they were still quite young.  The neighbors were so excited to have a schoolteacher, that they built a sod school!  This picture is not of her school; however, there were many communities that built sod schools, just happy that their children could have an education.  

I find myself wondering about education today.  My family has a history of teaching.  Susan's daughter became a teacher, and her nieces followed in her footsteps, as did my generation and the generation that followed.  I am sure that is true of many families.

I have blogged before about my concerns of education today.  Frankly, I disagree with the notion that every child deserves a trophy.  Part of learning is being taught to do your best, but also to realize that all of us are given different skills.  Pretending that everyone is deserving of a trophy is a disincentive, both to the ones who deserved it and to the students who are taught to expect a reward for undeserved recognition.  Sometimes it becomes an excuse for not giving those who need help the extra attention they need.  Sometimes it creates resentment when they leave school and aren't given the jobs they have been misled to believe they could do.  Students need help when their work is not at the level it should be, not a false sense of achievement.  And, students with a "big head" need lessons in such things as empathy, respect, courtesy to value others, with different skills, for which trophies may not be given. 

This blog was inspired by a quote from Theodore Roosevelt.  He said, "To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to Society."

I taught elementary, high school, and graduate school levels, but I have not taught since the internet existed, and I realize that the world has changed.  What a wonderful tool that is, but what negative risks it has also delivered.  

I went in search of quotes about education, and I found many encouraging its importance. However, I found far fewer about the importance of good character and respect for others as an important part of a successful education.   I will close with a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.  "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.  Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education."

What Have We Learned?

Memorial to W.W. I Soldiers

 My husband and I graduated from college during Viet Nam.  We were about to retire when nine-eleven shocked America.  Today, America is involved in helping those we believe are in the right to defend themselves against others who started war against them. We are not fighting, but we are indirectly involved.  Centuries ago, Plato said "Only the dead have seen the end of war."

The existence of the United States of America began on April 19, 1775, when 700 British soldiers were confronted by 77 minutemen. Both sides thought they were in the right.  Decades later, Winsten Churchill said "War is mainly a catalogue of blunders."  

If we know that what these men who have experienced war concluded, why do wars continue?  John Steinbeck explained it this way:  "All war is a symptom of man's failures as a thinking animal."  While that may be true, it does not offer a solution.  Richard Nixon thought he had the answer, when he said:  "Short of changing human nature,,.. the only way to achieve a practical peace in a world of competing nations is to take the profit out of war."  While that may sound like a solution, aren't most wars fought for some perceived benefit--to acquire land that is valuable in some way, to gain access to a shipping passage, to achieve a benefit of some kind?  His comment seams more of an observation than a solution.

Yet, great minds have warned that we must find a way to halt war.  H.G. Wells said, "If we don't end war, war will end us."  Albert Einstein described the importance of avoiding wars in this way:  "I know not what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

In more recent times, Madeleine Albright said, "I am an optimist that worries a lot. ...I have seen enough examples of altruism and sacrifice to live in astonishment at what humans are willing to do for one another; and enough examples of cruelty to despair at what we are capable of doing to each other.  The contradictions within human nature are inescapable.  Liberty is our gift and our burden, carrying with it both the responsibility to choose and accountability for the choices we make." 

At the end of WW I there was a genuine effort made to end wars, and Woodrow Wilson was a part of it.  He said of the American soldiers, they fought for "the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free."  He would have been saddened by the wars that have followed since then.

To answer my question, What Have We Learned? I have not found an answer.  I don't suppose I should feel embarrassed, since those far wiser than I am, cannot seem to find the answer either.  I suppose that what is important is that we do keep trying to find an answer as best we can. 

 

Looking to the Past as a Reminder

People's Party Political Cartoon  

I strive in this blog to be informational--to share history in particular.  The blog began when I was doing research for my book, Prairie Bachelor, The story of a Kansas Homesteader and the Populist Movement.  I shared things I learned about how Isaac B. Werner staked his claims--  things that mattered to Isaac and still matter today, such as literacy, art, education--and the wider history of our nation, especially how important it is to learn the lessons history has to teach us.    

I wrote this blog several years ago, and for some reason it was never posted.  However, I recently came across it, and thought it was relevant to issues we are dealing with today.  I hope you enjoy it.  

Isaac B. Werner was active in the populist movement of the late 1800s.  Many posts have shared information about that movement and the political parties that evolved during that time to confront the two established parties, which farmers, ranchers, miners, and other laborers found to have been neglectful of the concerns of the common man.  The People's Party, which grew out of this movement, focused on such things as fair sharing of wealth with the laborers whose efforts created it, and limiting the political influence of monopolies, speculators, railroads and other corporations.  Some of the things that those populists advocated have been adopted, such as the use of secret ballots, direct election of Senators, and 8-hour work laws.  

The words of the People's Party Preamble, written by Ignatius Donnelly, include two important priorities:  First, "we seek to restore the government of the Republic to the hands of the plain people, with which class it originated."  Second, "We declare that this Republic can only endure as a free government while built upon the love of the whole people for each other and for the nation; that it cannot be pinned together by bayonets; ...and that we must be in fact, as we are in name, one united brotherhood of free men."

The opposition of the People's Party regarding "undesirable emigration" should be noted, particularly their resentment that manufacturers were hiring poor emigrants to work for wages that made even minimal living standards impossible, firing workers who had been paid more because of the cheaper wages and unsafe working environments that desperate emigrants would accept.  The animosity was largely economic. 

The populist movement with its roots in the late 1800s still has things to remind us.   

Today our Nation also seems divided, although there is no third political party involved.  However, perhaps there are lessons we can take from history. 

Sometimes we forget that our Nation has had divisive times in the past, the obvious example being the Civil War.  However, there were other times when the Nation was threatened from within, such as the KKK, and the American Nazis gathering at Madison Square Garden in 1939. Our Forefathers believed in us, and the ability of citizens to protect what they created for us.  There will always be hate groups and politicians like Senator Joseph McCarthy, who spewed misinformation and hate, saying whatever it took to gain or hold office. So far, American voters have managed to live up to the responsibility of electing candidates who will continue to protect our constitution. The protections the Founding Fathers put in place have held.  Unfortunately, not all elected officials chosen by voters have been responsible, as well as some placed in official roles that do not require election.  

What history has shown us is not that preserving the Union is always easy, and this blog is intended to remind us of that.  What is important is that they trusted us to vote, and we must respect that responsibility.  From local offices to the Presidency, our votes count, and our responsibility to vote wisely matters.  I like Donnelly's quote: "We declare that this Republic can only endure as a free government while built upon the love of the whole people for each other and for the nation; that it cannot be pinned together by bayonets; ...and that we must be in fact, as we are in name, one united brotherhood of free men." The challenge of preserving the union requires our vigilance, and our  sense of respect and responsibility to elect people who see themselves as guardians of our precious Constitution.  This blog reminds us that there have been difficult times in the past, but enough voters have selected wise men and women to keep our Constitution safe.  Vote as if your vote mattered--because it does!       

  

Wisdom or Ignorance

A Mother's 100th Birthday with her son

 Often, I will stumble across something that I think might make a good blog post, and I will make myself a note on whatever piece of paper that is handy.  Quite some time ago, I came across the word "Wisdom" and wondered exactly what wisdom is.  I found some interesting definitions and jotted them down.  This morning, I came across that piece of paper with the definitions, and here are some of them:

For children, I liked this definition: It is knowing what is right and doing it.  For adults, I found many definitions, and here are three:  1. The ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight;  2.  Not simply mental knowledge of the truth, but integration of that knowledge into the whole of our lives; and 3.  Knowledge, experience, and deep understanding.

Today, as I was preparing to write this blog I thought about my definitions for wisdom, and wondered what the opposite of wisdom is.  Perhaps, the opposite is Ignorance, I thought.  However, my search for the meaning of ignorance was complicated.  Is ignorance a lack of knowledge, education, or awareness?  I found a long string of synonyms, such as stupidity, rashness, imprudence, illiteracy, and foolishness among others, but some of those meanings seem critical, while others are just a lack of knowledge, education, awareness, or opportunity to learn.  In fact, all of us are ignorant about certain things.

I suppose that what is actually troubling me is how complicated our world is becoming.  It seems impossible to be knowledgeable about everything in today's world, yet we seem to be expected to learn things that once were fairly simple but no longer are.  

More and more, we are expected to communicate not directly with a human being on the telephone, but rather to a machine.  Placing an order, scheduling an appointment, filling out an information form prior to going to the doctor or business may be efficient, but it is often impersonal, confusing, or annoying for the customer or patient.  

My point is, the definitions of Wisdom and Ignorance are changing.  The elderly couple trying to order a subscription online, or fill out a form to buy the basket of fruit they have ordered for friends for years may find it nearly impossible today, leaving them feeling confused and stupid.  That the same couple might be able to roast a Thanksgiving turkey to perfection or rebuild a vintage car.  On the other hand, their grandchildren can navigate a computer in the dark. 

Every generation must have struggled with change, but today we seem also to struggle with values.  Is  my respect for history and the wisdom we can learn from history going out of fashion? Are politeness and courtesy becoming obsolete.?  I hope not.   

 

What is Important?

It is an election year, and if you have a television you have probably had enough of being told who to vote for!  I do think it is important that people vote.  I also think we have a responsibility to take voting seriously.  I am grateful to people in our communities who are willing to take the responsibility to run for school boards, city offices, or even serve on committees that are so important to our communities.  Without those willing to give of their time, we could not have the functioning communities we have.  But this is an election year to choose the President of the United States, and I have been giving that a lot of thought.  What do I think is important in deciding who deserves my vote?

First, the president needs to be a lot smarter than I am!  Can you imagine the responsibility, the constant issues a president must be prepared to handle?  The sacrifice of personal time for yourself and your family, the constant need to be aware that you must consider whatever you say, whatever you wear, whomever you appear with, even in casual situations, for you will be judged.  That is more than most of us can even imagine.  And, none of that is even really about the huge responsibilities of assuming that office.  However, beyond those things, here are some things I think are important to consider in evaluating a candidate for the presidency, and other government offices.

First, I think maturity is important.  Some people mature faster than others, but even the smartest young people need to have experienced life as an adult for a while to learn a few lessons.  By law, our Presidents and Vice-Presidents must be 35, Senators must be 30, and Members of the House must be 25.  In Kansas, the Govenor must be 25, to serve in the Upper House 18, the Lower House 18, Lieutenant Govenor 25, and Attorney General and Secretary of State do not have an age requirement apparently.  I almost hate to include the ages for members of the House for fear some 18 year olds will read this and run for office!

Unfortunately, Maturity is not always about your age.  Courtesy, Respect for the office you hold, and just a politeness for the fact that people thought you would represent them with a sense of dignity seems important to me.  Ignoring traditions, customs of dress, and declining to appear at traditional occasions seem disrespectful of the office you are honored to hold, in my opinion.  

I also believe education and experience are important.  Perhaps I should say education + experience are important.  Just having gone to college does not ensure that you have an education, nor are people who received an education by reading and observing and working necessarily uneducated.  President Truman had very little post high school education, but he served in the military and he read.  It was his opinion that a President needed knowledge of American history, as well as world history, and he read on his own to be educated about those things.  History is difficult to teach to young students, for whom 20 years ago seems ancient, but knowledge of history is important to all of us, and it is essential to presidents.

Knowledge of the American Constitution is essential not only to every office holder but also to every American.  How can we know if those we elect are respectful of our constitution if we haven't read it?  And how can politicians do their jobs effectively if they haven't read it?

Sometimes the education and practice of certain jobs are helpful to politicians.  For many years, most of our presidents had served in the military, and I think that was a good thing.  Today, however, recent presidents have not had that training. Many presidents have been trained in the law, and that can be an asset.  An educated understanding of finance can be helpful, as well as a business management background.  We have also elected Presidents with a background in Education.

These are a few of the things I consider when I vote.  However, there is something else that seems important to me.  Whomever the person who has received the honor of election to office is, he or she should respect the dignity of the office and the honor they have been given by being elected by voters.  Of course, people who run for office must be confident of their abilities, but over confidence and arrogance are not traits that I admire.   

I read a lot of history, and even the best of presidents have had their flaws.  However, some have done remarkably well in difficult times. A few, not too well.  In a world in which our weapons are so horrible, and where the wonders of the internet include the dangers of spreading misinformation that they do, and AI is getting frighteningly capable of surpassing our human minds, we cannot elect presidents that don't measure up.  

    

Maybe I should get serious

Do you sometimes feel as if you are being targeted by specific commercials for your age group?  Well, you probably are.  I am in that age category that still watches the evening news at 5:30, just like my parents did, and it seems to me that there are a particularly large number of commercials regarding health. For example, fruit and vegetable capsules for those of us who do not eat enough fresh vegetables and fruit.  

Yet, the AARP magazine that also targets us warns that it is impossible to replicate what real food provides by taking a supplement, which lacks not only the full complement of nutrients but also the fiber that fresh produce provides for what the gut needs to keep us healthy.  

Not only what we eat but also what we do is important to our health. I have friends who obsess over getting 10,000 steps a day, wearing a watch that counts their steps to make sure they are meeting their goal.  Good for them!  AARP reported that research  found that walking 3,865 steps a day "can reduce your risk of dying from any cause" and "500 steps was linked to a 7% reduction in dying from cardiovascular disease."  The article also emphasized the benefits of even lessor amounts as well.

All of us need exercise, even as we age. including Aerobic exercise, Strength training, Stretching, and Balance. We may no longer be able to do what we once did, but if possible, we should try to find less stressful substitutes.  For example, Aerobic exercise speeds heart rate and breathing, which helps relax blood vessel walls, lower blood pressure, burn body fat, lower blood sugar levels, and when practiced long-term, other benefits.  Such things as brisk walking, swimming, jogging, cycling, dancing, step aerobics and marching in place are examples.

Strength training helps build back muscle mass, which might help with such things as carrying groceries, gardening, and climbing stairs.  It can improve balance and posture, reduce stress and pain in the lower back and joints, and improve balance.  A physical therapist might be needed to design a strength training program.

Age leads to loss of flexibility in muscles and tendons, and Stretching may help maintain flexibility and reduce the risk for muscle cramps and pain.  Before overdoing, warm up your muscles with things like arm circles and marching in place, then moving to static stretches.  But, always be careful not to push a stretch into the painful range.

Finally, Balance exercises help you feel steadier on your feet.  As we age, we certainly want to avoid falls!  You may need to consult a physical therapist to help you determine your current balance abilities and to prescribe specific exercises for areas of weakness.  

What I need to do now is take my own advice! 

P.S.  It is not just those of us with gray in our hair that need to exercise.  Even young children are getting less exercise than they need, as well as those between the young and the old.

Have We Given up on Exercise?

Once, labor kept us fit.

This blog was inspired when I read a government Centers for Disease Control & Prevention article which said that children ages 6 to 16 should do 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily to allow the development of strong bones and muscles, and to help control their weight.   Believe it or not, the article also said that meeting those exercise goals would reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.  Here is the bad news.  Less than 1/4 of kids in that age range meet that goal. 

A report in Time Magazine said that less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of daily physical activity. and as we age, we become even less active.  The Center for Disease Control warns that ignoring physical activity can lead to heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.  So, what am I doing?  I am sitting at my desk exercising nothing much but my brain and my fingers.  We own a tread mill and a stationary bike, but it has been longer than I can remember since I used either one.  The best thing I can say for myself is that my office is upstairs, so I make several trips a day going up and down.

I came upon an article by Michael Easter, that said that early humans had the running capacity of today's competitive cross-country athletes.  His article went on to say that big game could outsprint humans, but humans developed attributes geared toward endurance running.  The game they hunted could outsprint them, but humans developed endurance, allowing early humans to chase animals for miles, eventually wearing the animals down.  The humans had less hair and larger sweat glands, which kept them cooler as they ran, while the hair on the animals made them hotter, which begin to slow them down.  The name given to that was "persistence hunting."  Remember the old saying, "strong and steady wins the race"?  Records from ancient time indicate that people kept fit running, jumping, wrestling, and throwing heavy stones.  It is estimated that they walked 6 to 16 kilometers a day, and walking remains the most natural exercise today to help keep us trim.

But, how long did our sturdy ancient men live?  In the Early Neolithic age, life expectancy at age 15 was about 28 to 33 years.  By the early and middle Bronze Age it was 28 to 36.  We are a little more familiar with the Athens Agora & Corinth age, but at age 15 their expectancy was only 37 to 41.  Most of the Greeks and Romans died young. 

Before we get too proud of ourselves, we need to be reminded that our longer lives may have more to do with the modern health care than our diligence in taking care of our bodies with exercises.  Even we old-timers could help ourselves with 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity, like brisk walking, swimming, or dancing.  Are you ready?!

How We Shop

When Ladies made their own clothing

My Mother was a talented seamstress, and although we went to the department store every Fall and Spring to shop, we did not go to buy.  We browsed the new dress designs in the stores during the morning, relaxed in the car at lunch to enjoy the sandwiches Mother had brought from home in the ice chest, and then we went to the fabric shop to buy the patterns and fabric we would select to copy the dresses we had admired that morning in the department stores.

We sometimes bought our fabric and patterns at Jetts' department store in Pratt, but we rarely bought clothing there, since my mother was a seamstress.  The dime stores were where we bought our undergarments, costume jewelry, and cosmetics. Sweaters, jeans, and clothing Mother could not make were probably purchased at J.C. Penney.  After High School, when I lived in Wichita for a few months, I did a lot of shopping in the department stores, but the only thing I remember buying was an umbrella, which I considered a very sophisticated change from the clear plastic rain bonnet I tied under my chin.  

After I was married and we lived in New England, I loved the big Department stores, and we sometimes went to New York City, where stores like Bloomingdales, Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Bonwit Teller, B. Altman, Lord and Taylor, and Gimbels were a tempting delight to visit.  Today, I believe, only the first four department stores that I just listed are still there.  

I did buy clothing for myself, but I also made my own clothing.  I even made my husband a tuxedo!

Times changed, and shoppers were drawn to the big box competitors like Walmart and Target.  The pandemic reduced enclosed malls.  People in urban areas got home delivery groceries and increased shopping online.  Not only are stores having to deal with online shopping and fewer customers buying the more formal clothing people once bought, but some businesses are also now threatened with Smash-and-grab robbers and break-ins, requiring the added expense of guards and expensive safety measures.  Unfortunately, those safety measures often make shopping seem less inviting, discouraging the impromptu visits that had sometimes led to sales.

The days of lovely fabric stores for talented seamstresses, elegant department stores, and customers' closets with a wider variety of clothing for different occasions have nearly passed.  

Our changing world has taken away many things we enjoyed, and the replacements may not always provide the equivalent enjoyment.  However, on the other hand, we now take for granted new things that we have come to believe we cannot live without.  However young or old we are, shopping is teaching us to adapt.  

Emerson's Weather Report

Emy on window sill checking the weather

 Sometimes I am not sure whether we train our pets or they train us.  I grew up on a farm with lots of animals--always cattle in the unplowed prairie pasture, hogs one year, a lamb one year that a neighbor gave us when it needed to be bottle fed and he did not want to take the time, chickens, and a mean banty rooster we got from somewhere one year.

We were given a water spaniel named Brownie when I was about three years old, but she was a distraction to every male dog in the neighborhood, and her litters were always large.  When we had given puppies away to everyone we knew, she was finally given away too, but we kept two male pups from her last litter--my dog Curlie and my brother's dog Jack.  Curlie was my buddy from the time I was three until my senior year in high school. 

There were always cats.  The one most special was Mrs. Silk.  There were a few other cats, but they were barn cats, and they never lasted very long.  I wonder now if they might have met a sad ending when they were out hunting.  My parents did not allow pets in the house, and I am not sure if they were regularly fed other than table scraps and milk until our last milk cow, Old Red, went to the sale.

I knew nothing about house pets until I married and my husband brought home a beautiful kitten from the college farm where he worked that first year of college.  Since then, we have almost always had a pet or two, and they lived in the house.

But this blog is about the weather.  Our dogs were never "trained" but we talked to them as if they understood, and fairly quickly they acquired vocabularies.  Our cats pretend to ignore human language and prefer to train us...which brings me to Emerson's weather report.  

I enjoy sitting outside, just taking a break to listen to the birds and the 'petty coat' rustling of the leaves on the cottonwood trees.  I didn't have a particular time nor did I always make time to go outside, but whenever I went outside, our cat Emerson would hurry to the door to join me.  However, the miserable heat this summer has meant that if I fail to go outside early, it will be too hot to be enjoyable by 9 or 10 o'clock.

Emerson has taken the responsibility of leading me to the door every morning, to make sure we do not miss getting outside when it is cool, and before a wind that could knock you over picks up, as the winds have been so many days this summer.  We watch the birds dash through the air catching bugs, and listen to all of the sounds of a country morning, and we make our prediction of just how hot it will get.  This summer, Emerson's weather prediction is almost always hot and windy, and most days he has been right!      

Stolen Books

 At a sad time when readership is down, this blog is about people who would steal for a book!

There was a time when wealthy men saw books as a measure of their success.  Their homes often included an impressive library with hundreds, if not thousands, of books.  Andrew Carnegie was one of those men.  He is known for the public libraries he created, but his own personal library included rare books, especially books printed during the 15th century, the first century of printing with "movable type."  Such books are rarely stolen, since their rarity makes them immediately recognizable to reputable book dealers and knowledgeable collectors.  

The Carnegie Library has such books, as well as other valuable books and old maps so well known that they would be quickly recognized.  Such books require care, and when the Carnegie Library Officials decided to hire a person capable of protecting their rare books, they were grateful to have such a man already in their employ.    He was made responsible for the Oliver Room Collection, working with a preservation specialist to make sure the climate control and proper shelving, to avoid the leaching that wooden shelving can cause, were installed.  For years, all seemed well.

 In 2016 library officials decided it was time to audit the collection, which led to the dreadful discovery that the man paid to protect the valuable collection was a thief, working with a man thought to be a respectable book dealer. These men knew that the books themselves were too well known to be sold, so they cut individual pages from the books to sell.  Because these books were so valuable, as well as being heavy, they were kept on the top shelves for safety, almost never viewed, their thick book covers concealing the missing pages. To further conceal the identity of the books, the dishonest book dealer  stamped some of the books "Withdrawn from Library."  

When the thieves were discovered, attempts were made to find innocent purchasers to ask if they would  return the stolen pages and books.  The destruction and disappearances were nearly impossible to make right. The value of the lost and destroyed books were estimated to be more than $8 million, but the irreplaceable value was impossible to determine.  Unfortunately, the judge who heard the case did not seem to consider the historic, irreplaceable damage of the thefts, ordering only house arrest and probation as punishment for what the men had done.  Furthermore, the Judge seemed not to take into account the damage to the reputation of the Carnegie Library, including possible reluctance of future donations to the library collection.  Perhaps the laws did not provide the judge the true legal punishment adequate for the crime.  

                                        ~                    *                    ~

A Different case also caught my eye.  Since 2022, soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian rare books have been stolen from libraries in Estonia, Latvia, Berlin, Bavaria, Germany, Finland, and France.  The thieves pretend to be researching Russian books, sometimes returning over several days, and then taking the actual books but replacing them with sophisticated reproductions that only experts could distinguish from the originals.  Books by Pushkin are particular favorites.  There is a thriving market in Russia for books by Pushkin, a revered author.  Some suggest that the thefts might be  sanctioned to bring Russian Treasures home.

I find it ironic that new book sales in America are declining, while there is a market for stolen books from the past.

Enjoying Mother Nature

 Those of you who follow my blog may have the assumption that I spend my time indoors, reading, researching, and drawing.  While those pastimes are accurate, I also extend my curiosity to nature.  Even while typing this blog, I am regularly looking out the window, catching sight of birds and squirls and broken tree limbs from the strong winds this spring.  However, I do not spend all of my nature- watching through the windows.  This week's blog will share some of my recent nature experiences.

Snake skin from eyes & nose to tip of tail

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, Bull Snakes are welcome in our yard.  My husband had alerted me to the possibility of a bull snake around our volunteer onion patch, but I wasn't really paying much attention as I pulled weeds around the patch...until a snake glided out of the patch about 6 inches from my hand and gracefully slipped into the hole I had not noticed.  Despite my friendly feelings for bull snakes, my heart was pounding as I quickly pulled my hand away from his hole, watching him gracefully slip inside.  A day or two later, my husband called to me to see what he had discovered.  Mr. Snake had left a beautiful snakeskin for us, intact from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, about 6 feet in length.  I had found snake skins before, but none so long and perfectly intact.  Notice especially the eye shields in the nose of the skin.

What is this plant?

Earlier in the spring, when I was cleaning out the iris bed, I found a weed that I did not recognize, waving high about the iris.  I estimated it to be about 4 feet tall or slightly more, and the seed pod at the top resembled a dandelion on super steroids.  I decided to wait for it to open before pulling it up, curious to see what it would look like, but hoping to catch it before unwanted seeds scattered.  I was lucky, and not a single seed escaped, and I carefully cut off the stim and carried it to the house before returning to pull up the plant's roots.  I have enjoyed the display of delicate seeds for several weeks, but I have not been able to identify what it is.  Do you know?

My husband tolerates my protective sharing of the farm with a variety of creatures, but he isn't pleased when birds choose porches for their nests instead of trees.  However, since the upstairs porch off my office is rarely seen by anyone but me, he ignores the seasonal mess of mud nests on the light fixture.  It isn't easy to build a mud nest on a smooth brass fixture, but once again a determined couple returned to accept the challenge.  The eggs hatched, the parents kept busy feeding the greedy babies, and now they have departed.  I took this picture of a food delivery, just the parent's tail visible. For me, watching that annual family cycle is worth the mess I will need to clean up later, when the babies "fly the nest"!

  

After years of city life -- which I also loved, --  I am happy to be back on the farm, where Mother Nature provides the constant entertainment!

What is Propaganda?

There are all kinds of Posters, and a poster inspired this blog.  No, not the Women's Suffrage Meeting poster from 1894, nor Movie posters or Art Reproduction posters that may have come to mind, nor the W.W. I posters many collectors seek.  The poster that inspired this blog came from worldpress.com/' titled The Nine Fundamental Principles of Propaganda, warning, "Propaganda is the backdoor hack into your mind."  

We are living in a time when we are bombarded by misleading information.  I have blogged before about using fact checking sources to attempt to avoid being misled.  I have blogged about the change in news casters, no longer adhering to the standards of Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow, by 'reporting' more like commentators rather than following a strict adherence to news. I posted a blog about the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, and the failed attempt in 2007 to reinstate it.     In fact, if you scroll through my blogs you may find other examples of ways we are misled.

 Obviously, I find it very important that we have access to information that is the truth, whether it is truthfulness about medicine, news events, health supplements, politics, or many other things.  I have also blogged about the tendency to stretch the truth, whether just to make a better story, to avoid embarrassment, or to intentionally mislead.  The sad fact is that doing business on a handshake or believing everything you hear or read is no longer wise.  That is why I thought it was worth it to share the Principles of Propaganda posted by Word Press.  What follows are the Propaganda Techniques to guard against.  These are the 9 tricks to watch out for!

1.  BIG LIE - Always choose the big lie over the small; the masses will believe it more readily.

2.  FOCUS - Use only one or at most two selling points.

3.  REPEAT - Use them over and over until even your enemies know them by heart.

4.  BLAME - Never waver, acknowledge no doubt; always blame, never credit the other side.  Debase, defame, dehumanize.

5.  PROVOKE - First attract attention, then appeal to emotions.  

6.  CRISIS - Shades of gray don't work:  Issues must be life/death, good/evil, freedom/slavery, love/hate.

7.  EMOTHINAL SYMBOLS - Good slogans have no literal meaning, only a strong emotional appeal.

8.  PANDER - Ignore intellectuals and reasonable arguments; target the unthinking masses with powerful emotional pitches.

9.  NO LIMITS - Ignore all moral limits whenever you deem it useful.

Now that you have this list of propaganda techniques, it might be fun to pick a program and see how many of these techniques you can identify.  If your family is watching television together, perhaps you can turn it into a game, to see who can be the first one to identify a propaganda technique, and which technique was used.  

 With this explanation of the techniques used to mislead us, we are better prepared to avoid falling for those tricks!

    

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Memories of Growing up

 On May 22, 2024, I posted a blog titled Making Childhood Memories.  In that blog I wrote about the fun I had, admitting that some of my adventures may have been a little dangerous.  My brother was older than I was, and the year I entered 1st grade, he entered High School.  Growing up on the farm, we did not rely on finding entertainment by going somewhere.  We played games as a family--pitching horseshoes, playing croquet, setting up a volleyball net, and in the winter playing cards and board games, and clamping a home-made ping-pong table onto our dinner table in the dining room for serious matches.  The ping-pong table took up most of the room, but we squeezed our way around it much of the winter.  We almost always won when we played guests, because my father had made the ping-pong table out of a single sheet of plywood, and it was just a little short of regulation length.  Visitors accustomed to playing on a regulation table would often over- shoot the length of the homemade table.  When we retired to the farm decades later, the old horseshoes pictured above were still at the base of a tree, waiting for us to pitch a game of horseshoes!   

Despite our age differences, my brother and I found ways to play games together.  One of those games involved my going up on the roof of our 2-story house while my brother would see if he could kick a football over the house.  My challenge was to knock it down, if I could.  I believe my parents decided that game was a little too dangerous and put a stop to it.

In the "Making Childhood Memories" blog, I described our fun on a sack swing, but at the time I posted the blog, I could not find a photograph.  Recently, I found one, so now I can better explain that sack swing.  This is what I wrote in the earlier blog:  "I grabbed an old rope thrown up to me by my older brother and leaped out into space to wrap my legs around an old gunny sack with a little straw inside to soar through the air, never worrying about whether the strength of an old cottonwood tree limb could hold me."  Here is a better description of what our sack swing was really like.  There I am, bare foot, of course.  You can see the sagging gunny sack with a little straw inside, and the knotted rope to which I held onto for the ride.  However, what I need to describe is in the upper left corner of the picture.  Look closely, and you can see the wheels and the corner of the bed of the truck.  On the truck bed was the wooden picnic table, and on the table was an empty barrel of some kind.  Farms always had barrels around.  On top of that barrel was a smaller barrel, which I climbed upon.  Then my brother had to throw the sack swing up to me.  That was the hardest part--reaching out to catch the rope without tipping over the barrel.  Then, I got a good grip on the knot of the rope, launched myself out in space while trying to get my legs around the straw-filled gunny sack, and enjoying the thrill of the ride.  The second hardest thing I remember about the game was how difficult it was for me to throw the sack all the way up to my brother, waiting on top of the truck bead, picnic table, and barrels, so far above me, when it was his turn to ride. 

My childhood was a time to learn--what I could do and what I could not.  It was a time to develop imagination balanced with common sense.  It was a time when the family came together, to do chores and to play.  It was a time when reading fueled my imagination and my knowledge.  It was a time when I could see how hard my parents worked, helping me to accept my own responsibilities--to make my bed, to set the table and wash dishes and learn how to cook, to accept responsibilities, to share, and to learn that the world did not revolve around me.  I understand that our world has changed since then, but perhaps we need to find ways to give kids more of the learning opportunities I once had...even without a sack swing!  

Remembering Summer Holidays

Remembering the reasons for Memorial Day & the 4th of July

Many of my childhood memories relate to Memorial Day and the 4th of July, but as a child I thought more about family dinners at the farm after we decorated family graves at the cemetery, and fireworks with my parents' friends, the Curtis family on the 4th of July, alternating which family hosted the celebration each year.  I am sure that my husband's time in the Air Force made me more aware of the reasons for those two holidays, but Law School certainly gave me a deeper respect for those that we honor and celebrate on those two summer holidays.  Our Constitution gradually became more and more important to me, motivating the books I have published and deepening my respect for those who wrote the Constitution and those who have preserved it.

I confess, I am one of those nerdy people that watches televised hearings and trials, and I may pay more attention to what is going on in Washington and state houses across the nation than most people do.  Currently, more seems to be happening than usual.  However, I am not only interested in current events, but also in history, from which we can learn a lot.  

Having just researched our revered Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, the 4th Chief Justice on the Supreme Court, I recalled one of his statements:  "What are the maxima of Democracy?  A strict observance of justice and public faith, and a steady adherence to virtue."  One of the things Marshall found so important in deciding cases, especially cases of great importance, was to arrive at a decision with a strong majority of the court in agreement.    A split of the justices' decisions leaves people less likely to accept the court's decision.  

When the American Constitution was drafted, it required the acceptance by the states.  A series of 85 essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay were published, initially printed on broadsheets to be distributed to help citizens better understand the constitution the Founding Fathers had written.  Today it can be found in book form, and many historians consider the essays as the third most important political document of our history, just behind the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

These documents have guided us for generations and have made us admired by other nations.  That is what I celebrate on the 4th of July.  The parades and fireworks are great, but if you happen to have a copy of the Constitution, you might consider reading it.  It really is what makes America remarkable, and perhaps right now all of us need to be reminded of how that old Constitution has protected and how it has kept us strong for so many years, not by changing it so much as by respecting those who protected and defended it.  

The Girl Who Stole John Marshall's Heart

 Having shared the story of John Marshall's life, it seems appropriate to share the story of the girl who stole his heart.  The Ambler Family of Virginia was well known and prosperous.  The girl's grandfather had collected taxes for the King, before the War of Independence, as did her father and his brothers for a time prior to the revolution.  Her own father was the youngest of three brothers, all of whom received excellent educations, the older two having attended Cambridge in England, and her father having graduated from William & Mary in Williamsburg.  He was a patriot during the revolution and served on Virginia's Council of State in 1780 and as Treasurer of Virginia from 1782 to his death in 1798.

In comparison, John Marshall's education was largely acquired by his own love for reading English literature, poetry, and history, although he did attend one year at the Westmoreland Country Academy with future president James Monroe.  He gained notice fighting in the American War of Independence, shivering in Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78 and fighting battles in Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth.  Following his military duty, he began legal studies at the College of William and Mary, gaining further notice.  

During the same time, Polly was barely a teenager, acquiring the education suitable for a girl of her class, learning basic writing, reading, arithmetic, and religious principles, preparing to be a mother and wife capable of managing the household her husband provided, which in Virginia included managing the enslaved men and women who did the labor to keep her home clean and running smoothly.  She had been only 10 when the Declaration of Independence was signed.  

Despite the age difference of slightly more than 10 years, John Marshall was introduced to Polly Ambler, and as he recalled, "I saw her first the week she attained the age of fourteen & was greatly pleased with her.  Girls then came into company much earlier than at present."

Mary Ambler "Polly" Marshall

Between the time of their first meeting, they would probably have seen one another at social occasions, and finally John could wait no longer.  He proposed.  The family story was told that Polly was so flustered by the proposal that she said "no."  Her cousin intervened, explaining to John that Polly had been so surprised and happy that she had blurted out the opposite of what she meant to say.  They were married on January 3, 1783.  

Perhaps John gave his heart to Polly that night they were first introduced when she was only 14, and she was just 16 when they married, but his love and devotion never waned.  When she sent her cousin to tell John that she did want to be his wife, she had included a lock of her hair to deliver to him.  Later, she entwined a lock of John's hair with hers and tucked the two in a locket that she always wore. 

Despite their love for each other, Polly's life with John was difficult.  Their first child was born in 1784, their second child was born in 1787, followed by two miscarriages and then two infant deaths, with a third child in 1795.  Women's health care during that time was beyond inadequate, and records indicate 40 percent of children would not live to see their 5th birthday.  Childbirth was painful, and the risk of puerperal fever, which appeared mysteriously after deliveries and often led to quick death, was a fearful possibility--until in the 1880s they finally realized that unclean doctors' hands and instruments were the source of the deaths.  Modesty and morality in Victorian America contributed to apprehension in both patients and doctors.  Ultimately, six of Polly's children would survive.

John was a loving husband, but his law practice and his time serving in the Virginia state legislature took him away from home.  In 1797 when he was sent as President Adams's envoy to France, Polly worried wrongly that her husband was having a dalliance with a French woman.  As his responsibilities in government grew, her poor health worsened.  Her life diminished to traveling to seek cures for her various physical ailments and making family visits.  Even those things ended as she spent more and more time in bed, but for John she remained his "Dearest Polly."

She died in 1831 at the age of 65, the cause of death being certified as "Old Age."  Family history describes her deathbed gift to John of the locket she had worn throughout their marriage, containing the twisted strands of hair exchanged at the time of their engagement.  As she wished, he is said to have worn the locket until his own death in 1835.  

     

A Patriot Sometimes Overlooked

 Most of us remember the Presidents that have led this nation, but sometimes we overlook the importance of other patriots.  John Marshall is one who should not be forgotten, his integrity and importance to the nation particularly important to remember today.

He was the oldest of 15 children, and although his formal childhood education was very limited, he loved books and taught himself by reading.  Both he and his father fought in the American War of Independence.  He saw battle and endured the suffering at Valley Forge in the cruel winter of 1777-78.  After the war, he studied law, gained a reputation as a lawyer, served in the Virginia state legislature, was chosen as President Adams's envoy to France, served in Adams's Cabinet as Secretary of State, (having turned down other positions offered to him along the way), and ultimately was nominated by Adams to serve as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  This summary of his life prior to becoming Chief Justice is incomplete, but offers some idea of his achievements, but his love and devotion to his wife cannot be overlooked.  She was an invalid much of their marriage, although she did give birth to 10 children, 6 of whom lived to adulthood.

There were 3 Supreme Court Justices before him, but little structuring of the Court had been accomplished prior to Marshall's arrival on the bench.  It is indescribably fortunate for America that Marshall was chosen at such a critical time to gradually shape the Supreme Court.

While much of our American law was derived from English law, it was Marshall who led the way to distinguish the differences and to flesh out the unwritten distinctions under our Constitution.  Ignoring the British principle that "the King can do no wrong," Marshall did not hesitate to determine that under our Constitution a President can be impeached and removed from office on conviction of his crimes and misdemeanors.  

Many of the cases that came before the Supreme Court had no precedent to guide them.  Other Chief Justices might have introduced their political bias into the Court's decisions.  However, through Marshall's leadership, the Court avoided political bias. Quoting author Harlow Giles Unger, "The Court and its decisions remained as centrists as Marshall himself--at one and the same time liberal and conservative in the literal sense of both words. They protected and preserved individual liberties that did not infringe on the liberties of others or cross the line between liberty and license."

When John Marshall died, John Quincy Adams wrote in his diary:  "He was one of the most eminent men this country has ever produced. ...Marshall, by the ascendency of his genius, by the amenity of his deportment and by the imperturbable command of his temper, has given a permanent and systematic character to the decisions of the Court, and settled many great constitutional questions favorably to the continuance of the Union."

The importance of the early Supreme Court has always been recognized, but of great significance was not only the Constitution itself but also the leadership of Marshall who guided the Associate Justices who served with him.  The broad unity of the court strengthened the respect for the rulings they made, resulting in acceptance by not only the Senate and the House, but also across state leadership, resulting in wide acceptance among the public. 

John Marshall's Supreme Court ruled America's legal landscape for 35 years.  Yet, shortly before his death, he shared his concern about whether or not the Constitution could last.  He worried that "The case of the South seems to be desperate."  His concern was validated when South Carolina's State Militia fired on Fort Sumter.  The brutal Civil War tested the nation, but the Constitution held.  

Yet, even today, we must not take for granted it's invincibility.  Like John Marshall, we must respect the challenge of preserving the union.

Where is Education Going?

Grades 1 & 2, 1950

There were concerns about education prior to Covid, but being out of the classroom worsened those concerns.  However, educators have chosen to use the opportunity as a way to look closely at how new ideas might improve education.  The question is, where do we go from here?  This third blog will share some of the changes in education that are being tried.

A Survey by the Pew Research Center during November of 2023 found that 51% of U.S. adults believed that public K-12 education is going in the wrong direction.  Only 16% thought it was going in the right direction, and 32% were not sure.

Criticisms from the public included primarily 4 areas:  1. Schools not spending enough time on core academic subjects, like reading, math, science, and social studies; 2. Teachers bringing things outside of traditional education into the classroom; 3.  Schools not having funding and resources they need; and 4. Parents having too much influence in decisions about what schools are teaching.

There has been increasing concern about declining scores in reading and math for some time, and that is certainly being addressed in many states.  Attention is also being paid to aligning pathways with real-world workforce needs.  Fortunately, that has renewed emphasis on improving high-quality Reading & Math instruction.  Schools are also considering 3rd Grade Retention for those students who are  struggling, holding them back to provide particular attention so that they can master those needed skills before passing them forward.  Without mastering the basic skills, those students simply fall further behind and never catch up.

Many states are trying to determine the correct use of smart phones, not only baring cell phones during instruction time in the classroom but also putting more responsibility on cellphone companies to require parental permission for kids under age 18 to have cellphones.  Surveys have shown that 70% of parents support both state and national regulations requiring parental consent for young people to access social media platforms, and 61% endorse rules that would make students store their cell phones in lockers while at school.   Most parents are concerned about the negative effect of cellphones on their kids mental health, only 12% having no concerns.

Other ideas for improving education for grades 1-12 include expanding school choice in a wide variety of possible ways.  Tax dollars have long been spent on Public Schools, and although I had no children, I never resented being taxed for public schools.  I want educated people as my doctors, plumbers, police, clerks, farmers, and all occupations.  My husband and I have also supported scholarships for students needing assistance.  I recognize the value of training public school teachers and paying them a competitive wage.  Wealthy families may have had more options for schools 1-12 and college, so it is important to be sure ordinary families can have public schools, community colleges, and affordable 4-year colleges to receive quality educations; however, public school funding should not be diluted by supporting private schools.

There are also new efforts to create pathways for career and technical education programs, including career scholarship accounts for high school students, work-based learning courses, apprenticeships, and other opportunities.  Those pathways would not necessarily bind them to particular careers, but rather give them an opportunity to learn a skill that would give them the revenue to work and save for college later or attend night school while having income from their craft.  That seems more generally productive and fair that simply paying off university student debt.

In order to gain a strong workforce of well-trained teachers to fill current teacher shortages, states are creating incentives to keep the best teachers in the classroom, and ways to encourage new teachers to choose that career.  Some states are creating on the job training programs and mentorships and reviewing their teacher licensing programs.  States are not ignoring the impact of AI and are instead studying ways to effectively utilize it.  

That little girl sitting in the back row third from the left in the picture at the top of this blog had no idea what the world would be in 2024.  Now, decades later, she is trying her best to keep up, but the world of the future is no longer hers.  However, she plans to be around long enough to hope that today's generation is doing a good job of keeping up.  The older generation is depending on their ability to follow Albert Einstein's advice, that is, not just to have obtained an education, but rather to have used their educations to train their minds to think.  

I hope this 3-part series about education has offered some new ideas, as well as emphasizing the importance of education in a rapidly changing world.

Training the Mind to Think

  

Schools have come a long way, but where do we go from here?

   Continuing the reflection on Albert Einstein's quote, "The value of a college education is not learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think," I will share some of what educators learned from the effects of Covid home schooling, but I will begin with what students shared about what and how they are being taught.

Unfortunately, sometimes students reported that they were being taught from out dated books, while others complained about the conditions of their schools.  However, they also complained about a pattern of work, stress, and unnecessary work.  As one student described it, outdated books, unending homework, and the challenge of balancing school life, social life, and family life, concluding with the need to lessen the load on students.  I remember that I was busy in high school, doing assignments, having certain responsibilities at home, and having a social life, but I don't really recall feeling, as that student described, having an unreasonable load "dumped" on me.  Is it really that different today?

Another student admitted that she and her classmates had smaller vocabularies, less facts and figures in their heads, less ability in math--relying on "sneaking out the phone" for the answers.  She recognized the reliance and admitted that technology had impacted her socially and psychologically.  She described not only herself but her friends as wanting everything-- and wanting it immediately.  Sadly, she also felt that real experiences had become less gratifying because they had already experienced life "through a screen."  A different student proposed that instead of studying textbooks there should be more interactive videos, websites, and games to keep kids interested.  However, other students acknowledged that the ease of finding answers online had limited their learning. 

Some students complained about having to learn things they will never use, being required to memorize information that will have no application in real life.  As one teacher said, kids are of the opinion that they know better than their teachers what they should learn.

The perspective of teachers is that there is a widening gap between honor students and everyone else, with little or no middle ground.  Even in preschool, teachers are finding undisciplined kids that curse, spit, and kick, and too often reaching out to parents to help curb misbehavior is of no help.

Older students rely on internet assistance, but teachers find that even then they ignore correction hints, failing to correct spelling, punctuation, and spacing.  One teacher admitted that she and her husband had decided to withhold technology from their son until middle school so that he could learn more independence in managing his time and learning.

Beyond the work students present, teachers have noticed discourteous behavior, such as dropping things on the floor rather than putting them in the trash, and when disciplined about such behavior, they reply that janitors are responsible to clean up.  As for doing their own assignments, many simply fail to complete their work.  Teachers complain that administrators disapprove of failing incomplete work, making it even harder to get students it do adequate work.  As for better students, teachers find that they often expect an A+ for every assignment, dissatisfied with a B, expecting a reward for doing the assignment without consideration of the quality of their work.

So, where do we go from here in education.  A summery in next week's blog will bring some hope from new ideas being tried.
 

  

A Former Teacher's Concern

1907 School Teachers

 The Value of a college education is not learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think.

Albert Einstein

Recently, we attended our grandnieces high school graduation preparty.  We are so proud of them.  We are also enjoying hearing from friends about their grandchildren's graduations, and younger friends sharing the dilemma for their kids of selecting the college they want to attend.  The quote by Einstein, as well as the interest in young kids we know, caused me to take a fresh look at education.

Fresh out of college, I taught grade school in a small Kansas town, followed by teaching high school English in cities in New York state and Massachusetts.  My public-school teaching ended when I graduated from Law School, but I have retained an interest in education.  I am aware of the difficulties of remote teaching during covid, and I was curious to update information about the recovery in education that has followed.

There is no question that Covid impacted education, nor that it continues to require new thinking about meeting the challenges of a different world.  However, we should not forget that criticism existed prior to Covid.  In 2015, Education Week posted criticisms:  Parents not involved enough, classroom too crowded to provide individual attention to students, use of technology leading students to expect entertainment, and fewer than 40% having mastered reading and math.  For some students, the article described a "School-to-Prison Pipeline for students lacking an adequate education.

Although teachers expressed the likelihood that top students would be able to go on to college and do well, they described some students as being lost. Explanations included declining to hold kids back even if they were unable to meet minimal standards, and requiring State Test Standards that force teachers to go forward despite the need to help students go back and fill in the gaps in their knowledge before going forward with new learning.  In addition, teachers found some parents too lax in accountability, and perhaps surprisingly, cell phones in classrooms were not always about interruption from other student's calls but also interruptions from parents calling. 

My research found many reasons for poor learning.  In cities, one of the complaints is overcrowding.  Teachers have so many students that providing individual help is nearly impossible.  This is not only frustrating to teachers but also discouraging for students who need help and feel helpless about the lack of opportunity to find it.

Many students are unlikely to seek help, and unless there are ways to push them to their full potential, they will only fall further behind.  Unfortunately, not all families are able or willing to help, not only because they lack the time or the skills, but also because some do not see the importance of their responsibility to be a part of their children's education, declining to enforce discipline at home or even making excuses for their children's lack of effort at school.

The effort to avoid making children feel inadequate by giving every child a trophy may have been well intentioned, but the result created a false sense of success.  Just as passing kids along when they have not learned enough to build to the next level leaves them even more likely to continue failing.  These problems existed even before Covid, but the lack of classroom teaching during all those months certainly made things worse for most students.

Next week's blog will explore whether lessons were learned and changes were made to education because of Covid.

 f.n.   The tallest woman in the back row is my great aunt, Anna Marie Beck, teacher, three times elected County Superintendent, and employed in the Education Department in Topeka (State Capital).

 

Making Childhood Memories

 Richard Louv prefaced his book, Last Child in the Woods, with a quote from a 4th grader.  "I like to play indoors better 'cause that's where all the electrical outlets are."  The subtitle of Louv's book is "Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder." In farming communities and smaller towns, it may be easier to make sure that children spend time outdoors.  Pratt, Kansas seems to be a good example of a community that provides a variety of places to encourage kids to get outside--from a natural park to playgrounds to a wonderful ballpark.  Yet, the balance between the need to protect kids adequately while also encouraging the freedom to explore and take risks that build both courage and good judgement seems to be increasingly difficult.

It was a photograph from 1900 of children playing on playground equipment that inspired this blog.  Can you imagine the community uproar such a dangerous place to play would bring today!  The school superintendent would be fired, the school board would be sued, and parents would carry guilt for failing to protect their children from exposure to such danger.

Today the Consumer Product Safety commission has a Public Playground Safety Checklist requiring such things as "at least 2 inches wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber or rubber-like materials for playgrounds, as well as the play area to be covered.  The list includes all kinds of potential dangers to check against regularly and concludes with the need to "Carefully supervise children on playgrounds to make sure they're safe."

I am not suggesting that the listing of possible playground dangers are irrelevant or that supervision is unnecessary.  I am just considering what the explanation is for why so many of the wonderful parks I see are often empty.  Has our desire to keep children safe stolen the desire for adventure that is necessary to pull them away from the lure of the internet?   

When I went online to see what playground equipment could be purchased today, I found many colorful and elaborate examples, available at prices that shocked me.  One example, 'on sale,' cost $30,500!  I'm sure it met all of the safety requirements, although it didn't seem to include the wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel surfacing recommended by the Consumer Product Safety commission.  I'm sure that children might be excited to see such a colorful thing, with five or six safe, fairly low slides.  However, I could not help but wonder how many times the fun of sliding down those safe, low slides would last.  Or, whether all the bright colors and carefully positioned options had left much room for imagination? 

I am probably the wrong person to be evaluating how to encourage children to make childhood memories they will never forget, for I am relying on my own memories of a different time--playing in the pasture without fear of snakes or poking out my eye with a sandhill plum thorn (although both of those things would have been possible).  I wandered country roads far from home without fear, grabbed an old rope thrown up to me by my older brother and leaped out into space to wrap my legs around an old gunny sack with a little straw inside to soar through the air, never worrying about whether the strength of an old cottonwood tree limb could hold me.  I am sure that I did countless things that were quite dangerous, and I know that times have changed and parents must be more watchful than my parents were.  I am sure there must have been broken arms or worse that happened, and I know of the injury of a young classmate who fell from a horse.  There were and are dangers for unsupervised children.    

Now perhaps the greatest dangers parents face have nothing to do with the dangers I faced as a child.  As wonderful as the internet is, it brings dangers my parents never needed to consider.

Maybe the 1900 photograph that inspired this blog had its own secrets of broken arms or worse.  Obviously, that playground equipment was crazy dangerous, even then.  I am not blind to all of the dangers parents and teachers must face today.  

I guess that my point is that there has always been the need for balancing risk.  I am fearful of the risks of AI.  I understand the potential abuse of the internet.  I know that our world has changed, and kids no longer have trees in their backyards to climb or entirely safe roads to walk alone.  However, somehow, we need to find ways to balance safety and risk.  We need to provide opportunities without overlooking responsibility.  And none of this is easy!