From The Mouths Of Babes

Bet you thought I was going to dazzle you with a few utterances made by Hillary, or Janet, or Madelyn, or any of the other talented Liberals in America. No, these comments came from the mouth of a young lad of seven years. In addition to his being a bit fearful of losing some of his freedoms due to his class mates talkitiveness, he is interested in being home schooled, or so he says. I smiled at first, but halfway through the second smile, my mind turned seriously in the direction of Why Not?

Traditional schooling certainly has merits, and God knows they, the teachers, do a good job, or try to at least. This young first gader was full of questions. He wanted to know if I could be his teacher, to which I replied, "Of course!" He went all the way through grade school, and high school, wanting to know whether or not the work would be hard for him. In all honesty, I told him the work would be as hard, probably much harder than he currently experiences at his public school. I assured him that he would become much smarter, and would be in a better position to go on in life as a successful young man.

He went further. He asked me about college, and would I be his college teacher. No, was my reply. When you are ready for college, it is they who will come looking for you. They will do this for they can see you would be a very valuable asset to their school. Wait a minute, I thought. here we were but five minutes from his school, and already he was asking questions about college. Where did all this come from, I wondered?

Of course, in admitting that he would henceforth refer to me as Mister Pop Pop, his home school teacher, I sensed that he was very serious indeed. My sister, the one who likes to stick her pin into every bubble of youthful opportunity, squashed the idea by telling him that I could not be his teacher, for I was not qualified to teach. At this, I also smiled, but the smile gave way to thoughts of why the heck couldn't I be his teacher? Secretly, I have been doing just that for several years now, so, why not continue on pace?

Here we are. He, willing to be taught, and I, willing to teach. First, we set up a "home school" schedule for us both. Within that schedule, he gets to learn, and to play at appropriate times. He shall learn things not taught at his traditional school, things left behind so many years ago in the curricula of those times. No one may scoff at this idea, not even my sister who is herself, well qualified to speak of such things.

He shall first learn of the US Constitution, and he will learn that it is the law of the land. He shall also, learn that this revered document is not a "living "screed as many would have him believe. It is the most formal of declarations, one designed by free men, for free men. Never should this document, so consistent in it's assertions, be disavowed, or changed by the whimsical fantasies of men who do not completely understand it's relative importance to the vitality of our country, America. His shall be a respectful holding to the tenets therein laid out for him, and all other Americans as well.

He will fully know and understand the Bill of Rights, what they mean, and most importantly, why they were written in the first place. he shall understand "enumeration" as a principle, and how it relates to what government may, as well as may not, do. He shall learn that government exists for the sole purpose of defending our country in times of crisis, and assuring us we have the infrastructure upon which the wheels of commerce turn freely. He shall learn to look down upon government as being the provider of benefits to please him. His understanding shall be that it is he, who will best determine what benefits, and of which kind, shall be his. And those same benefits will be of his design, and not of surrogate others who purport to act only in his interest.

This young lad, by virtue of his enhanced understanding of things, will, in the future, be moved to act in the interests of others less fortunate than himself, and not because some one else made that decision for him, and those same others. His will be a life of purpose, a sense of which will not escape his knowledge any time soon.

In the fullness of adult maturation, will his having held to the principles of successful accomplishment become apparent to him. He shall teach others, and they too, will come to understand that his interests are their interests, and their country's interests. Many will they be, who follow his lead, and for that, shall we, as a people, be forever grateful. His teachers, all of them, will look upon him and his disciples with gratuitous pride, and perhaps the wisp of a knowing smile will emerge. Yes, the smiles shall also come, and they will be telling.

Be not afraid to dream the large dreams, I shall counsel him. By this time though, shall his own realization of the value of following your dreams, and your heart, be very well known. Others who have dreamed thus, did so for a person just like him, and for countless others. This would make them very happy. It is making me very happy just to dream as I am doing this minute.

And now? I've got to be getting back to the "home school" phase of this little man's education. He just now, walked into my room and requested my presence in his "classroom" across the hall. It has already begun...