Having been a substitute teacher for the past 19 years, I have observed a marked change in the behavior of many of the students in the Muscogee County school system.
Student behavior has gone a very, very long way downhill. Many students now enter the school very noisily, and even running and jumping in the halls. The rowdy behavior continues into the classroom. They slam their books on the desks and gather in small groups and begin gossiping and generally ignoring the teacher and the instructions on the board. There is a distinct impression that many of them have come to the party and are prepared to have a good time all day long.
Teachers having to deal with this all day get frustrated and even discouraged. Teachers should be devoting their full time to academics and not detouring all day long to devote time to discipline problems.
Teaching respect and discipline is a large part of the mission of the parents. Parents should not expect the teacher to teach appropriate behavior. Parents, you work hard and you pay the bills, and you are the persons in charge in your household, not your children. You are their parents, not their pals.
Do you think it is just a coincidence that the Asian children are usually at or very near the top of the class academically? The only conclusion I can reach from this is that the Asian parents are inculcating in their children the value of an education and the importance of respect for their elders. The Asian parents are doing their job. Are you doing yours?
Fred Young
Fortson
Whoever you are …
Recently, when I was shopping in Target, I inadvertently left my wallet in a cart. After going a short distance, I realized what I had done and frantically walked up and down the store looking at people’s carts to see if I could find the one I had left.
A teenager from my church greeted me and I told him what I had done. He and his friend immediately said they would help. So they went one way in the store while I went another.
I saw a young man on his cell phone, and my wallet in his other hand. He was trying to call me on my cell phone. The number was taped inside the wallet, but my phone was in the car. I thanked him over and over and he told me he didn’t find it; his young son had. Then the teenager and his friend came and I told them what had happened.
I was so emotional that I didn’t get their names, which I regret. This wonderful couple and their young son made me know that Columbus is a place of great, honest and responsible people. This mom and dad are teaching their son by their example. I hope they see this letter because this is the only way I know to thank them again.
Margaret Hunt
Columbus
Coddled thugs
I have never seen a piece of paper protect American citizens. I know that the law that Mr. Obama signed adding to what we already know as hate crimes is good. But it won’t protect anyone.
Until people stop hating one another for whatever reason, it will continue. It’s far past time to really punish those that break the laws. Not just slap them on the wrist and tell them not to do it again. We need to actually punish lawbreakers. Harsh punishment for harsh crimes. Let them break rocks, dig ditches, and other hard labor things. Not sitting in an air-conditioned building, watching TV, with free (to them) meals, medical, dental, and clothing.
Change this system of treatment. We have homeless people who would fare better living in these buildings, while the criminals live in tents in the weather. Just look at what Sheriff Joe out in Arizona is doing. It should be done everywhere. And if the criminals don’t like it, well, they need not do what got them there in the first place.
Randolph Edwards
Phenix City
Pendulum redundancy
I love sports in general; watching gifted athletes is observing art in motion.
What bothers me is that the game has been lost to competition. We treat great athletes as demigods; sports is big business, a major artery of capitalism, the kind of capitalism that’s currently en vogue, the kind that stresses individual rights over community. Capitalism’s idolatry has been a social trend since humanity has endeavored to record her past. History tells us again and again how humanity turns against itself, simply to acquire the metaphorical brass ring.
It seems that social trends are cyclical, a pendulum swinging from one side to the other. During the apex of one kind of influence, a few lavish in excess while the majority live in penury. And the cycle continues and will continue to oscillate until we realize as a global society that our collective terrestrial quest is to get everybody searching for truth.
Still and all, the search for truth turns into competition; competition turns into greed and greed into segregation; segregation leads to slavery; slavery leads to revolt; revolution turns into a quest for truth.
Russell (Rusty) Allen Taylor
Columbus
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