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Things all parents should teach their kids
To the editor:
"Parents, teach your children well." Many of you won't recognize that -- it is from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young around 1970. It's good advice -- if you want your children to know a lot of things, you have to start at home. Many things never were taught in school, or are not now. OK, here's a list of things to "teach your children well."
1. Teach them the truth and not political correctness. Abortion is murder of a living organism not the removal of some malignant cancerous growth or non-living intrusion into the body. It happens mostly because people have gotten so self-absorbed in how they feel, but don't want the consequences of their actions. Children should come into a family with a mother and a father who raise them to be contributing members of society.
2. Teach your children the history of the country's founding as a Christian nation. Include evidence from the speeches and writings of Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Jay, Payne, all four stanzas of the national anthem, and practically any other Founding Fathers' writings.
3. Teach your children about the principles the country was founded to have. Include documents like the Declaration of independence, The Constitution, The Mayflower Compact, the Federalist Papers, Common Sense, The Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation. In more modern times, Roosevelt's "only thing to fear is fear itself" and the "day of infamy" speeches, Kennedy's "ask not" inaugural speech and speech to put man on the moon, King's "I have a dream" speech, Reagan's and Kennedy's speeches at the Berlin Wall and Johnson's great society. It will take time, you can't do it all at once, read one with them and discuss what it means and how they and you feel about what it means.
4. Teach you children that evil exists today and has existed for the whole history of man. Include as examples things like Hitler and WWII, Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, Slavery, genocide both in WWII and many parts of the world now, Stalin, Jim Jones and others. Tell them how to recognize evil in all its many forms and how to withstand it and try to bring it to an end.
5. Teach and give your children the opportunity to learn about God. Whether you believe or not, you owe your children the opportunity to choose for themselves. If you don't feel up to the task, either take them to Sunday school at a church, or at least send them with someone. Even if you are an atheist or agnostic, you can be wrong and obviously I think you are, but your children have the right to make that decision. You might learn something as well as your children. You might add in discussions (honest ones) about why some people don't want Christmas displays, prayers in school and public meetings, or even saying things like Merry Christmas. It doesn't really have anything to do with separation of church and state.
If you just added this much to your child's education at home, they would be a much better citizen for the country and you will help make the world a better place by placing a better person in it. By the way if you have never heard the song, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_hYdywoV_Q