Give gift of time to your children

Regarding gifts of peace:

In this sixth year of war and an uncertain economy, ’tis the season for adults to make wise and loving choices about the gifts we give our children.

Our gifts send strong messages about our values, hopes and expectations for all the children on our gift lists.

We need to ask ourselves if our gifts encourage emotional, mental and physical growth. Will they foster more peaceful, cooperative and healthy homes, communities, nation and earth? There are many inexpensive books, toys, puzzles and games available that encourage growth in these areas.

But there is also a more precious and rare gift available in these confusing times, one that is affordable by all because it is free.  That gift is the gift of ourselves and our time.

Instead of purchasing a gift, why not present a homemade certificate redeemable for your time? Offer to read with children, take them hiking or take them to the park. Play with them. Do a project together. Help someone else. Let them choose how you’ll spend your gift of time together. Let them know their world is important to you.

Your gifts of time and concern bear no monetary price tag, but they do convey an invaluable message, the true holiday message. 

Lin McJunkin
Conway

Public education system failing

The Kathleen Parker column on dumber America is a sad revelation of the failure of our public education system. However, it’s not new. As early as the ’60s and ’70s, remedial English and math had become the largest freshman classes on university campuses. Private vocational schools cannot take government subsidized students unless they offer remedial classes to redeem the failed public school programs.

Several times, I asked my business law students to define the term generation gap. They expressed anger toward their parents for passing school bonds without demanding any improvement in the classroom. In their late teens and early 20s, they were outraged at the need to study basic English and math that they should have been taught in lower elementary grades. The National Education Association’s Play-Doh social studies have crowded out genuine education.

How did this happen? Parents need to recognize that the NEA is not an education association. It is a labor union with its own socio-political agenda. Basic education of children is a secondary consideration.

Our public schools are not suffering budget shortages or learning deficits. The problem is curriculum deficits, administrative disabilities and colleges that do a poor job of training teachers in their designated disciplines.

The NEA should be excluded from any voice in curriculum. Curriculum should be formulated by vocational and professional persons. They know the foundation needed for productive life careers. The Legislature should mandate their recommendations. School boards should demand complete curriculum and budget transparency.

We have many good teachers. We’d have many more with better training. We need to get the NEA off their backs, out of the classroom and reduce top-heavy administrations.

To rob children of fundamental education during their formative years seems tantamount to educational child abuse. The children deserve better.

John Hamers
Mount Vernon

Snow helpers much appreciated

I just had to write and tell you what happened to me recently. Due to lack of good visibility, I backed out of my driveway a little too timidly and, in doing so, got hopelessly stuck in the snow and ice.

While my mind raced, weighing my options, a silver, late-model Dodge SUV pulled in front of me. Out jumped two men with a snow shovel and proceeded to dig me out. I was on my way in less than two minutes, and I never even got out of my car!

It was no coincidence that they “just happened” to have a shovel with them. These are the kind of people that make the world go around.

As a side note, I was blessed with the opportunity to help push one of Mount Vernon’s finest from a similar situation by LaVenture Middle School. The opportunities are all around us to help our brothers and sisters.

John Callahan
Mount Vernon

People need to rebuild own nations

A recent article described the humanitarian attitudes and efforts of folks from a local church and others who are giving a boost to a family from Kenya, including their six children.

Obviously, an education is helpful to most people from most countries. However, it does not take a college degree to learn how to farm, dig irrigation trenches and other basics to grow several basic food products. As most citizens/taxpayers are well aware, America has been overwhelmed with immigrants from around the world — although we continue to export jobs and billions of tax dollars through hundreds of government and private agencies.

The time is long past for people of many countries to rebuild their own nations, plant their own food and seriously fight corruption in their countries.

Conrad Rodney
Mount Vernon