Dear editor:
Once again Mrs. Walker (Want to do something patriotic? Educate
for citizenship) writes from a standpoint of wishful thinking and
not substantiated fact as she reviews issues involving patriotism
and public education, and misaligns teachers she does not know,
either personally or professionally.
Dear editor:
Once again Mrs. Walker (Want to do something patriotic? Educate for citizenship) writes from a standpoint of wishful thinking and not substantiated fact as she reviews issues involving patriotism and public education, and misaligns teachers she does not know, either personally or professionally.
Mrs. Walker: “If there is a causal relationship between school spending and crime, it seems to be that school spending causes crime.”
Where to start? This is probably one of the most absurd statements I have ever read. Where are the facts? Hint: There are none. The correlation Mrs. Walker tries to manufacture here does not exist.
The actual cause and effect relationships regarding crime are complex. Most are socio-economic and tied up in the stresses that come with poverty, hopelessness, greed, and despair. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, periods of marked economic decline and high unemployment, have the highest per capita rates of crime. Periods of strong economic performance, such as the 90s, have lower crime rates. In 1993, when California’s population reached 31,211,000, the index of total offenses was 2,015,265 (64 offenses per every 1,000 citizens). In 2001, the index of total offenses was 1,346,557 while the population had grown to 34,501,130 (39 offenses per every 1,000 citizens), a decrease of almost 40 percent. (See: http://149.101.22.40/data online/Search/Crime/State/state-by-state list.cfm) This analysis is true of the nation in general.
Mrs. Walker: “The biggest contributing factors to criminal behavior are, first, growing up in a single parent home, and second, a poor education.”
Fact: Only partly right. The biggest contributing factor to criminal behavior is the large number of families living at or below the poverty level where they live with an unending sense of hopelessness and despair. As much as she might not wish to admit it, this poverty is also tied up with racism.
Mrs. Walker: “Our schools could help tremendously in decreasing crime if they would teach children to read, write, and calculate.
Fact: I do not know a teacher who does not do his or her best to teach students reading, writing, or mathematics. If a teacher does not do this, the teacher should leave the profession. Unfortunately, once again socio-economic status of the student comes into play, as well as, the lack of adequate funding in the classroom.
Mrs. Walker: They could help future generations if they would promote chastity and monogamy.
Fact: I do not know a single teacher who does not promote responsible behavior when it comes to sex and relationships.
Mrs. Walker: They could help preserve our democratic republic if they taught a love of country.”
Fact: Teaching students to think critically about the actions of one’s government, whether the administration is Republican or Democratic, is the highest goal of any teacher of history or government. Mrs. Walker made use of the words of the original Bull Moose himself: “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any public official.”
Since Mrs. Walker made a point to criticize my classroom and has never met me or made a visit to my classroom, I invite her to spend time with me next year. She will note that I am fair and welcome all views, as long as they are supported by fact and presented in a tone that is polite. As with any human my interest in the political process and the history of the United States in general has come to fashion opinions that I do share, especially when asked.
Finally, Mrs. Walker: “As long as Ms. Karen Hockmeyer (my name is Hockemeyer) keeps telling her students that the president is a warmonger, she is not teaching patriotism.”
I resent your impugning my integrity or the integrity of my classroom. As pointed out above, we have never met. You know nothing about me.
Several years ago when I was at Santa Clara University I had to write an essay on the question: “America right or wrong. What is the moral duty of a patriot when you believe the United States is not acting immorally?”
The greatest duty we have, according to history, is to speak out, to write, and if need be to remove that government from power. If you don’t believe this, reread the Declaration of Independence. It says: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights … That whenever any Form of Government become destructive of these ends it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it.”
I hold my government, no matter the party in power, to some pretty high standards. Historically, with only a couple of exceptions, those who have controlled power in the United States have failed to meet those standards. If being critical is lacking in patriotism, I beg to differ. My criticism is because I love my country. I expect better of a government that claims that all human beings are equal. I expect better of a government that says it cherishes democracy and life. I expect my government to serve this country in a way that reflects the ideals of our Founding Fathers.
And yes, going to war against Iraq was immoral; and when my students asked me about what I felt, I gave them my opinion and then I gave them the facts that supported my opinion.
Karen Hockemeyer,
Santa Cruz
Submitted Monday, June 23, to ed****@****ic.com
