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Legislatively Speaking
Legislatively Speaking: Education …
 

By Noel Miller, CT State Grange Legislative Director

  JUNE 1, 2023 --

We trust that it will be a prominent part of your duty, both in and out of the Grange, to encourage the education of the children within your jurisdiction, and to plead that they be not employed in the arduous labors of the fields, before their minds have received that gentle care and training which enliven, explain, and dignify labor.” This is the lesson that proper education shall be given to each and every child in this nation.

“The only thing to fear is fear itself,” this was spoken during the trying times of the Great Depression, expressing hope that as a nation we would all come out of the disaster better off together, working together, and in charity together, and it worked. Many of our older Grange members survived that time and have tried to improve the lifestyles of their children so they would not have to suffer as they did. Times have changed so fast that a person in their 80s have seen so many changes in technology, cars, radio, television, telephone, airplanes, tractors, electricity, clean water, computers, man travel to space, man landing on the Moon, internet, cell phones, cable tv, and many other events that someone with an 8th grade education mastered throughout their lives. We all know the importance of higher education, but the cost to go far outreaches the grasp of high school today. Changes are needed.

Yet today’s messages are that education is grooming our children, and parents have no say in the programs for educating the future leaders of the country. Today children need to be instructed in basic reading, writing and arithmetic. They must learn history, so we don’t repeat the wrongs of the past. They must have sciences, so they can explore new ideas. They must have music and sports, to brighten their horizons. And they must have civic lessons, so they see how our government works. Without the experiences our future generations will always be behind the 8 ball of life, just getting by. It is important that all get equal education.

Today’s children are under so much pressure to succeed, peer pressure, to exceed, to fit in, to be accepted. With the internet, smart phones, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, our youth are bombarded with many requests, challenges, ads, likes, hates, and information that they shouldn’t give out to be accepted. Some kids have multiple accounts for the many groups of friends they have. One group can feed off of another group with hate and your child is in the middle being pulled in many directions and their lives spin out of control. This shouldn’t happen to anyone, starting at the age of 6 years old. Controls are needed to protect our youth, we need leadership of our legislators, not sound points, true legislation to protect our children.

With the debt ceiling debate, we need leadership in the protection of the U.S. finances.

The only thing you need to fear is the American voters to take back our democracy.

 

 
 
 

 
     
     
       
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