The best comment I heard during my reporting on the sad shape of Fresno's schools came from Charles Manock, a member of the citizens committee looking into facilities needs in Fresno Unified: "How your schools go is how your city goes. The schools are your curb appeal. They are your investment in your neighborhoods."
I devoted my Sunday column to the building needs in Fresno Unified. It's time to upgrade Fresno's schools -- not just in academics, but also the classrooms, athletic facilities and theaters of the school system.
It appears that the district's leadership is on board, although it will be expensive to catch up.
There's a new commitment to upgrade the facilities in Fresno's schools. Finally we have an administration and school board that says poor test scores and shabby schools are no longer acceptable.But good intentions won't write the checks that run into the millions of dollars for deferred maintenance and outdated schools.
Glaring examples are the swimming pools and running tracks at Fresno and Bullard high schools. A community group from Bullard says it will take at least $7 million for a new pool, all-weather track, lighting and other improvements to athletic fields. Fresno and Bullard give us a glimpse at the facilities backlog that is in almost every school.
So what do athletic facilities have to do with a district that is struggling to improve student achievement? Plenty, according to the teachers and principals who are working to improve academic performance in Fresno schools.
Fix the Schools, fix the bad pool? Follow our lead here in Bakersfield, we don't need no stinking pools at any of our schools, but we do have a presence of God. We plan to have "In god we trust" over the door way of every classroom.
If you only had what we have, Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan Bakersfield's personal envoy to God....lucky us.
Thanks for the tip. Never heard of the woman, so I googled her name. Interesting to read about Bakersfield and the response of the libs at the Kern High School District board meeting when "God" is mentioned. (All folks wanted to do was put, "In God We Trust" over the classroom door! Couldn’t hurt, that’s for sure!).
Also interesting to note that a retired educator compared Christians to Nazis - which says a whole lot about the liberal mind-set.
Parenthetically, I’ve often wondered why libs never object to be called "godless." Remember Ann Coulter’s book: "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," a few years back. I’ve never heard once, from a liberal, any objections to being called "godless." Are they proud of it?
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/250070.html
Back to Fresno schools: Any "fix" starts with the spiritual. Sure, decent facilities are important, but unless people change their ways, new facilities will soon reflect the surrounding environment.
There's actually a very good reason for separation of church and state. The Founders weren't stupid when they enacted the First Amendment. They knew very well what happens when religious and secular authority get intermingled too much. Just look at Puritan New England or Europe in the Middle Ages if you need examples.
Sure, it may be a "harmless" sign over the classroom door, but it's more like a foot in the door. The evangelicals keep pushing for more and more religion in the schools, so someone has to push back. In the U.S., the task of defending our constitutional freedoms is generally left to those "godless libs."
We have always understood, well, at least Christians and conservatives have, that the 1st Amendment meant that our system of government was prohibited from establishing a national religious denomination, that Congress could not compel a religious affiliation.
Only since 1947 - (Everson vs Board of Education) - did Justice Hugo Black read the First Amendment in a more restrictive way, giving a definition of the First Amendment that went well beyond the original intent of the framers of the United States Constitution. From that time we have derived our present day concept of the "separation of church and state," a phrase that doesn’t even appear in our constitution.
It is significant that we understand that today’s 1947 concept of "separation of church and state" was not at all applied during the time of the Founders. It only came to pass about 170 years later.
I know of no group, except liberalism, that tries to compel adherence to a religious dogma. (For instance, environmentalism is the new political correct religion that demands total, coercive compliance and obedience. Their prime deity is none other than the Earth - Mother Earth - Mother Gaia).
When libs talk about "separation of church and state," they really mean the "separation of God from society." It’s God they can’t tolerate.
Now, back to Fresno Schools - new, improved, facilities start with a new, improved, changed people that are willing to put forth the effort, have the compassion to right what is wrong, have the proper incentive to do what needs to be done. There is no better way to achieve those qualities than to deal with the spiritual. Fix the spiritual, and fixing the schools will fall into place!
I'm sure you must be aware that the term "separation of church and state" is derived from Jefferson writing of a "wall of separation" between church and state. Jefferson may not have written the Constitution himself, but he was around then, and knew the drafters personally.
"Fixing the spiritual" is something that should be done in church or at home. Fresno has no shortage of churches with excellent facilities. The schools, on the other hand, could use an upgrade. Perhaps you don't care what sort of facilities our children spend their days in, but I do.
T.C., this "god" you speak of so eloquently,is a partisan God, and therin lies the problem, while you may be comfortable citing Ann Coulter as a spokesperson for christianity,...to me, she appears to be a tortured soul, who is driven by hatred and a very focused mean-spiritedness, not unlike Hitler, another christian who felt that the ends justify the means...but that's just the Buddist perception. godless is as godless does.
JS:
There is no doubt that Hitler used a profession (not possession) of Christianity to spread his hatred; It’s much like the libs of today who profess an devotion to Christianity (or the constitution) in order to subvert both.
Back to Fresno Schools: Many theologians call it, "the Wilberforce Strategy." William Wilberforce, the British parliamentarian and abolitionist, said, "Almighty God has set before me two great objectives: The abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of society." He recognized something that our society, today, seldom likes to admit - that Christianity is the great civilizer. That when the "spiritual" happens - society benefits.
I say again, the restructuring, the renewal of our school system - even at the physical facilities level - starts with a "spiritually changed" people who are NOW willing to take responsibility and act on their faith.
Sorry, T.C., but I'm not willing to wait for your "spiritually charged" people to appear before we fix the schools. Christianity has had almost 2,000 years now to "fix the spiritual." Do we have to wait another 2,000 years before we can pass a bond measure to repair and improve our decaying school facilities?
Wiliam Wilberforce? jeeez, you don't have to go that far back to find examples of alpha male nut jobs who want to remake the world according to their bizzare take on christianity,(or any other creed)I just want protection against, and freedom from them.
Mike and John-Where do the rules for good conduct that better yourself,your community, your nation and the world come from? The Ten Commandments-not the Ten Suggestions.You may have seen the movie.I suggest you read the book.Back to the schools.Where did all the money go?
The ten commandments aren't as basic as you seem to think, Brian. They are actually a very basic moral code designed for an ancient agrarian society, with a mix of secular and religious laws. The ones that are still applicable are found in just about any culture's moral code. In fact, only three of them are part of our law (I'll let you figure out which three).
It's quite possible to teach kids the basic rules of conduct without appealing to any particular religious tradition. The religious instruction (if any) should be done at home, or at the church/synagogue/mosque/temple/whatever.
...the old testament provides abundant precident for genocide...it should be read as a cautionary tale. Keep it the hell away from our schools.
Mike:
You speak of the ten commandments and "the ones that are still applicable" - does that mean that you feel that some of them are not applicable for today?
I’m curious - just for my edification - what ones do you feel are not needed for today? Let me see, subjects covered in the 10 commandments are: Coveting, false testimony, stealing, adultery, murder, the honoring of parents, day of rest (Sabbath), cursing (taking the name of the Lord in vain), idolatry (worship of false gods), having no other gods except the Lord God.
Come on, confession is good for the soul - which ones do libs think are irrelevant for today? My friends and I are betting, that at the very least, it’s the very 1st one - you know the one - the one about having no other gods except the Lord God!
BTW, for the benefit of libs and those educated in Fresno Unified - the 10 commandments are found in Exodus, chapter 20 - that’s the 2nd book of the Bible - you know, the Old Testament, like - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus .... etc.
And ponder this: "Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion whose morality is so sublime and pure .... are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." Charles Carroll, a signer of the Constitution.
T.C., the answer to your question depends on what context you are referring to. Regarding our law codes, only 3 are relevant today: the commandments against murder, theft and perjury.
Regarding my personal morality (since you are so curious), I pretty much follow them all except the 4th one, as I don't observe a strict sabbath on Saturday as the commandment requires. I'm usually pretty busy doing work around the house that day.
By the way, you forgot to mention the 10 C's are repeated in Deut. 5. That's the fifth book of the Old Testament for all you ditto-heads out there.