What are our public schools for?

Why do we have public schools? To educate for sure, but that can be done in private and religious schools as well. Public schools serve a free society in many ways; they provide a standard for education, they provide access to all, they bring the community together, and when possible and at their best they bring diversity of ideas and culture. Also, students each day say the pledge of allegiance, learn about our form of government, and are taught to be good citizens. Students are taught to have respect for their teachers, their country and their legislators and president.

Our President is more than a politician, he is our country's leader for better or worse. It is this lesson of respect for our presidency that was tragically undermined by those who protested the presidents school speech. Furthermore, school administrators who did not show the presidents message to all children present were abdicating their role as educators and leaders. Every citizen who sends his child to public school enters into a contract with the values the public school system stands for. If a parent chooses to exercise his constitutional right to protest, boycott, or speak out they are free to do so and also free to keep their child at home. Despite the difficult position they were put in school administrators were required to show the presidents speech for they had no evidence of political manipulation to point to. Someone needed to stand up and tell the protestors - go ahead with your protest but we will not let bias and paranoia influence our public school system.

Please do not take my position as one who is against protests, criticism of government, free speech, or other forms of non-violent action. Our constitution gives us these rights and we are obligated to exercise them when we see fit. Our public schools are not immune from these actions but care must be taken as to the lessons learned by our children. Raw politics must not be a part of our public schools.

In their misguided attempt to prevent a president from doing so, those on the far right have in fact done exactly that.In the best light this was a case of not the president inserting politics into our schools, but the far right lunatics depositing their bile and poison. In the worst light, this is a case of racism both open and closeted. This cancer threatens our free liberal democracy. What are we teaching our children? It is time for us all to stand up.