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I'm sorry but this is wrong. I spent a majority of my life as one of those poor people who wanted the government to help out. I'm only in my twenties so don't think this is too long ago, but my mom was paid only $600/mo supervising an apartment complex. She was a single mother with 2 kids but still no help. So she had to work 2 extra jobs. As soon as I was old enough to work I had to. I needed basics like ... a winter coat.
It's just not that simple.
I'm certainly not rich, but I'll gladly give up a little extra of my money so that some kid who was born into a situation outside of his control doesn't have to deal with what I did. Maybe kids can have better chance at education, so they don't end up a high school drop out like me. I'd like to see kids with help from the community so they don't end up in jail because their one parent is working constantly and can't really be around to give them guidance. Maybe with some good community outreach they could have a better influence than a guy who was a high school drop out who was killed by his own brother before he was 20 because they were high and playing with a gun.
Maybe community service could help a kid reconcile the fact that just because his dad was a drug addict and ran off with his rehab nurse, that he isn't who his father was and he doesn't have to repeat that cycle. Maybe a community that cares could help a kid deal with it when his step dad loses it and starts a high speed chase back to his trailer where he shoots a couple of cops and then blows his own head off just after setting the place on fire. But the way it is now, there's limited to no help for those kids.
When this is your story you realize that it's anything but fair for people to talk about all the lazy people who want to take advantage of the system. If this was your story, I can gaurantee you wouldn't look at community service as a problem, but rather as a solution.
We should volunteer because it has the chance to change the world. If we realized that without each other we would fail maybe a government wouldn't have to come along and practically force people to serve.
Before I bow out of this thread for the night, I just wanted to say, THIS is why I am a teacher, and why I want teachers to get the help they need. The examples you provided, including your own story, are not off-base whatsoever, especially where I teach.
I can't solve a kid's home issues in 180 hours (that's all I get with each one of them per year -- how many days does that equate to?), yet, a lot of times, those home issues are keeping them from breaking the cycle their parents began. Who can do homework when dad's drunk again, mom's sneaking around with her boyfriend and the younger brothers and sisters need cared for? It's kind of hard to communicate in a timely manner with parents that don't have a cell phone or a house phone and work three jobs just to make ends meet... These are the things I deal with.
It's not as simple as reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. I'm teaching human beings, not programming robots. Educational theory teaches that emotional and physical needs of a child must be met before that child is receptive to learning. One grade level behind in first grade is equal to four grade levels behind freshman year...
Why do Republicans want children to be born into ANY situation, but refuse to provide programs that help the children that are born? I just don't get it.
Okay, seriously, I'm going to go look at some comb genetics stuff just to distract myself. (I love this election because it has made me passionate about politics again).
Bravo (and brava) to you both, and thank you. Am I a "bleeding heart?" Well, yes, I am. And I don't have a problem with that. It's where my faith leads me, to minister unto "the least of these." And I'd like to think that I'd feel the same way even if I didn't feel led by God to "do unto others" as I'd have done unto me. If you are in need, and I have it in my power, I WILL help you. And I hope I'm instilling those values in my child. I would love to see less greed, less selfishness, and more concern about "all of us." We're in this together, like it or not.
I'm sorry but this is wrong. I spent a majority of my life as one of those poor people who wanted the government to help out. I'm only in my twenties so don't think this is too long ago, but my mom was paid only $600/mo supervising an apartment complex. She was a single mother with 2 kids but still no help. So she had to work 2 extra jobs. As soon as I was old enough to work I had to. I needed basics like ... a winter coat.
It's just not that simple.
I'm certainly not rich, but I'll gladly give up a little extra of my money so that some kid who was born into a situation outside of his control doesn't have to deal with what I did. Maybe kids can have better chance at education, so they don't end up a high school drop out like me. I'd like to see kids with help from the community so they don't end up in jail because their one parent is working constantly and can't really be around to give them guidance. Maybe with some good community outreach they could have a better influence than a guy who was a high school drop out who was killed by his own brother before he was 20 because they were high and playing with a gun.
Maybe community service could help a kid reconcile the fact that just because his dad was a drug addict and ran off with his rehab nurse, that he isn't who his father was and he doesn't have to repeat that cycle. Maybe a community that cares could help a kid deal with it when his step dad loses it and starts a high speed chase back to his trailer where he shoots a couple of cops and then blows his own head off just after setting the place on fire. But the way it is now, there's limited to no help for those kids.
When this is your story you realize that it's anything but fair for people to talk about all the lazy people who want to take advantage of the system. If this was your story, I can gaurantee you wouldn't look at community service as a problem, but rather as a solution.
We should volunteer because it has the chance to change the world. If we realized that without each other we would fail maybe a government wouldn't have to come along and practically force people to serve.
Before I bow out of this thread for the night, I just wanted to say, THIS is why I am a teacher, and why I want teachers to get the help they need. The examples you provided, including your own story, are not off-base whatsoever, especially where I teach.
I can't solve a kid's home issues in 180 hours (that's all I get with each one of them per year -- how many days does that equate to?), yet, a lot of times, those home issues are keeping them from breaking the cycle their parents began. Who can do homework when dad's drunk again, mom's sneaking around with her boyfriend and the younger brothers and sisters need cared for? It's kind of hard to communicate in a timely manner with parents that don't have a cell phone or a house phone and work three jobs just to make ends meet... These are the things I deal with.
It's not as simple as reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. I'm teaching human beings, not programming robots. Educational theory teaches that emotional and physical needs of a child must be met before that child is receptive to learning. One grade level behind in first grade is equal to four grade levels behind freshman year...
Why do Republicans want children to be born into ANY situation, but refuse to provide programs that help the children that are born? I just don't get it.
Okay, seriously, I'm going to go look at some comb genetics stuff just to distract myself. (I love this election because it has made me passionate about politics again).
Bravo (and brava) to you both, and thank you. Am I a "bleeding heart?" Well, yes, I am. And I don't have a problem with that. It's where my faith leads me, to minister unto "the least of these." And I'd like to think that I'd feel the same way even if I didn't feel led by God to "do unto others" as I'd have done unto me. If you are in need, and I have it in my power, I WILL help you. And I hope I'm instilling those values in my child. I would love to see less greed, less selfishness, and more concern about "all of us." We're in this together, like it or not.
