EDUCATION, A MATTER FOR THE STATES AND THE FAMILY

The Constitution clearly states that educating children is the exclusive domain of each individual state. I would add an important phrase:"and of the parents." A friend of many years recently complained to me that he was afraid that if he reprimanded his children the state would intervene and punish him. Such nonsense is the result of bureaucrats encroaching on our privacy and absolute right to punish our children as and when we see fit; the unwritten but well-understood rule is "without harming them."


Today's children know very well that CPS is ready to pounce on "unfit" parents and some of them blackmail their progenitors in order to obtain their wish. The problem is compounded by the laissez-faire attitude of many parents and the fact that so many kids come to an empty home after school.  Without a guide and a moral example at home, boys and girls tend to be influenced by older confused children and misguided peers. The television fare to which they suscribe for at least 4  hours a day certainly doesn't help them form a healthy criteria.


Many of today's successful and model citizens felt the caress of their dad's belt occasionally as children or the good spanking given by their loving mom. Fifty years ago, the corporeal punishment was routinely administered even in schools without any interference from the government. Nowadays, young people, with some notable exceptions, feel that they are entitled without having done the work to deserve it. "Give me" is a common phrase heard in many families rich or poor. In order to have peace at home, parents give in and satisfy the material request.


"Punish with love" is a phrase my mother often repeated as she metered out my well-deserved slap. That is the key that parents would do well to remember. A child is fully aware that he or she has misbehaved and that consequences must follow. That is just! Nothing riles up kids more than injustice; they complain loudly when their siblings seem to receive a more favorable treatment. A wise parent talks to all of them frequently and patiently, explaining the circumstances and the decision. Many teachers try to help parents in instilling moral values to their students. Only one big problem: They have between 25 and 150 kids to take care of every day. Nevertheless, their role as surrogate parents is essential in making a difference while there is a chance to mold a young mind.

Interference by the state government in family affairs should be limited to serious cases of criminal behavior such as leaving kids in a hot car, physical violence between parents, drug use, prostitution, sexual abuse and neglect. A simple phone call by an 11-year old claiming abuse should not result in a show of force by law enforcement and CPS. It should be handled discreetly, so as not to publicly humiliate innocent parents. We often forget that the media sometimes contributes to the public condemnation of innocent people by publishing their photos on the front page. Let us work with local agencies and law enforcement to determine whether a child has been criminally mistreated before we splash the case on the local television channel.


We have become a complacent nation with regard to education; we forget that kids need strict guidance and superior role models. We are limiting the power of parents and teachers to enforce discipline, a value that is essential in a successful adult life. It is natural for kids to test their boundaries, to explore, to talk back, to disobey their elders, to misbehave. We have to show them, with love and care, that there are limits and that society expects them to follow certain rules. Parents, teachers and local agencies should all work together to make sure the message is understood.

THE INFLUENCE OF MODERN MEDIA

Our judicial system, sad to say, simply doesn't work, as illustrated by the Casey Anthony tragic case. There is however no better option, unless we give access to quality defense lawyers to every person accused of a crime, irrespective of their financial condition. We could do it by applying the enormous sums of money misspent in foreign wars; imagine how much help we could give destitute people with a trillion dollars already wasted.

While I keep wondering why this little girl's death has drawn so much attention by the media over the last 2 years, my focus today points toward the ever changing role and importance of mass media. True, modern technology allows everybody to keep abreast of the latest news instantly; from the laptop to the smart phone, from traditional means to modern blogs, one can be informed on every topic. That's the beauty of the Internet where the past and the present meet every second of every day. The Web never sleeps and, according to some studies, neither do many teens and adults (O.K., they do sleep a couple of hours).

How is this modern explosion of data changing our society, our world? As in the above criminal trial of Casey Anthony, I suspect that the daily coverage and histrionics of some commentators helped form a sinister image of this young mother. Was the jury influenced by the media in spite of the judge's orders not to read on the subject? Of course they were; after so many months, they could not help being bombarded by opinions on the Net, on TV or on the radio. By the same token, many accused people are "prejudged" by the media, thus strengthening existing prejudices among those who eventually will decide their fate. I am not excluding judges from the media's influence; they are humans as well.

On the good side, the multiple tools created on the Internet, whether Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, e-mails, and of course blogs, have all contributed significantly to the spread of democracy. The Arab Spring is in full bloom, as the masses in these countries can witness the freedom and prosperity enjoyed in the West through their own Internet tools. Tyrants and dictators have in vain tried to block the data. Pictures and videos from cell phones continue to reveal the horrors committed by these totalitarian regimes. More powerful than bullets and tanks, political blogs in Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia and Libia have demonstrated to their rulers that the truth cannot be hidden or killed.

As usual, whenever a new tool is created, some people will try to use it to their own advantage; there are however so many pros to the Internet that the cons are simply not able to compete. We will become a better society, a more informed society , and a society better able to separate the good from the bad. I am all in favor of technological progress, but, as Thomas Jefferson wisely stated:"I never submitted the whole of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself".