The origins of the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” remain under debate, but the sentiment describes how children are dependent on a much wider range of adults and infrastructure than is available within their immediate family. Today, Texas is poised to walk away from its children.
By cutting both education and health services to the bone, the Texas House and Senate are removing themselves from the responsibility of raising this generation of Lone Star children. Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” rule will soon reign supreme without state support for schools, Medicaid and CHIPS (children’s Medicaid).
Guess which children are most likely to remain both healthy and adequately educated without state support? Two clues: they will be rich and white. Perhaps this is the House and Senate’s answer to Texas’ looming Hispanic majority.
Is it time to talk about raising taxes?
Sonogram Snobbery
In case you missed the latest bill, both groups of legislators want to browbeat every expectant mom with a sonogram if she is considering an abortion. Although our government won’t support the children we already have in Texas, they want to ensure no one chooses to not bring a child into a state that doesn’t want it.
Buffalo Bayou Mom 
What a sticky situation. It’s almost a general rule that most people will reject raising taxes. I don’t enjoy the thought myself. I’ve met many, many people who have abused the system, applying for housing assistance, medical assistance and childcare assistance and then work full time jobs paying great wages and rent out rooms in “their” houses and turn down medical insurance in order to continue receiving “free care.” I’ve also met folks who didn’t feel their children needed to further their educations because then they wouldn’t qualify for “help” and would ultimately cost the family. This ends up resulting in generations of children who have no concept of honest work, of ethics, or of earning. As a result, I struggle with the knowledge that my hard working husband has so much of his wages taken to pay taxes, some of which ultimately keep this enabling situation going.
Please don’t misunderstand, I also know many people who work very hard and through all kinds of circumstances, have found a need to be aided by government programs to help their families remain healthy.
Meanwhile, from growing up in an area (not in Texas) where it wasn’t uncommon to se 40-45 students in a classroom with a frazzled teacher and little control over student behavior, I am inclined to homeschool, which does not result in my recieving aide towards my child’s education. I know that, having a 10 month old, this is years and years away, but when I see programs in certain states that require certain amounts be spent in schools on artwork – and see what that ends up meaning really – it is frustrating to know that teachers still end up providing many of the school supplies that the school budget cannot/will not and homeschoolers have to foot the bills of their children’s educations, as well as choosing to forgo working in order to focus on the task of educating their children.
I think that the village raising the children goes so much farther than we think. Yes, schools provide lots of social opportunities, other opinions, and a variety of experiences, BUT when one teacher deals with 45 students and children are pushed through before they are ready and understand the material, there is something lost. Unfortunately, many folks look forward to the day their little one is school age so that they can have a life again. I think that might be feeding the confusion overall. Schools are no longer just for education and bettering of selves. Schools have become free, mandated child care. And who wants to up the cost of something free? Parents and outsiders alike have to rethink what school means and step up to make sure that the education our children get isn’t just about how much we look forward to time away from them.
Alright. That was LONG-winded. I apologize. Got me going.
Oh, and I’m going be brave (or stupid) and comment on sonogram snobbery. Again, I think the mindset of youth has to be looked into before touching on this topic. I’ve known enough folks who consider an abortion their preferred method of birth control for me to be horrified. Apparently, with aide, it is cheaper than monthly birth control, and socially more acceptable in some situations than abstinence. Some youth are choosing to risk getting STDs, counting on the hope that the medical world will provide them with treatment if they get “unlucky” and in order to please their peers, they stop using anything at all. It is a stupid and cowardly response to a ridiculous situation. Our youth need to be empowered… not just to take advantage of their rights to their bodies via abortion, but to take value in their selves. I think that many people who go in for an abortion truly have no concept of what they are doing, of the life they are preventing or of the potential blessings a child can bring. More than that, they often feel like they don’t have any choices at that point. We don’t need to deal with this problem at THIS point… it needs to be dealt with before conception. Our youth don’t need to see videos of fetuses or hear lectures of right and wrong, they need to see all of us treasure life and help others who are struggling. If the village would truly help raise the children, folks who are feeling like they’d be doing this alone might think twice. That’s all I’ll say about that.
I’m going to Austin on Saturday for the Save Our Schools Rally. March begins at 11:00 starting at 12th and Trinity. Rally at the Capitol from 12-2. http://savetxschools.org/ for more information.
Parents for Public Schools and other organizations are sponsoring bus transportation. Google them if you are interested–or just drive yourself.
Also, in response to Melanie’s comment, I think that the fact that people abuse public aid is irrelevent to the arguments for or against tax cuts. If you are concerned about fraud and abuse, then encourage our lawmakers to enact legislation that addresses that. Don’t kill off entire programs just because part of it is ineffective. Let’s use scalpels–not sledgehammers–to improve our government.
Also, I think that living in the USA and Texas is worth several thousand dollars a year. If I earned millions of dollars a year, then it would be worth several hundreds of thousands of dollars. The fact is, I don’t want to live in anarchy, and good government costs good money.
Also, everybody should pay for public education whether or not they have kids and whether or not their kids attend school. Public education has many purposes, and we all benefit from it. Capitalists benefit by having access to a well-trained workforce. Democracy benefits from having citizens that can think, communicate, and work together. Individual students benefit by learning marketable skills and (if they are lucky) being challenged to be the best people they can be.
By the way, The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church state that children are “beings to whom adults and society in general have special obligations. Thus, we support the development of school systems and innovative methods of education designed to assist every child toward complete fulfillment as an individual person of worth.”
Furthermore, the Social Principles state:
“We believe that every person has the right to education.
“We also believe that the responsibility for education of the young rests with the family, faith communities, and the government.
“In society, this function can best be fulfilled through public policies that ensure access for all persons to free public elementary and secondary schools and to post-secondary schools of their choice.”
> The village that abandoned its children
No one ever mentions the parents who have abandoned their children. More and more these days teachers have less time and energy to teach because they are expected to parent the multitude of kids they are supposed to be teaching.
The old village proverb implies at least a basic parenting effort by the parents (go figure), and additional help from the rest of the village. Today, we seem to so easily accept, if not encourage, parents walking away from this very basic responsibility. Parenting is now accepted as yet another free service and basic right of every villager (or even non-villager).
It’s frightening how we refuse to learn from history regarding an unfortunate trait of human nature: as the village offers more and more free services, including parenting, food, medical, clothing and even free ipods, more and more villagers will make the simple observation: life is easier if I do nothing. In the end, the village cannot sustain itself.
> Guess which children are most likely to remain both healthy and adequately educated without state support? Two clues: they will be rich and white.
Why do you think? Is it because more white people are accepting the responsibility to raise and provide for their kids and teach them the value of education? And do you think limitless handouts will help the “looming majority”? I honestly don’t think so.
> If you are concerned about fraud and abuse, then encourage our lawmakers to enact legislation that addresses that.
This is sad. Why are you asking someone else to do this? Why not you! Are you not concerned about fraud and abuse? I know you are aware of it!
Perhaps the answer is to cut taxes. This will force the lawmakers, and maybe even you, to start looking at the raging fraud and abuse that keeps the help from those who need it.