One Veteran's Observation

One way a "veteran" would not act would be to call the action of schools and classify them as "Gestapo". I had 2 grandfathers who served in WWII and they would really challenge your choice of words. You were persuading me slightly to your cause but your portrayal of educators as "the Gestapo" is way over the line. Take your pompous, arrogant rants somewhere else. If you think anyone in our school system needs to be compared to a secret NAZI Police and death squad you are sick. I think your comrades in arms would be appalled at your lack of class and lack of decency.

I did not compare the activities of anyone at CCSC to the activities of the GESTAPO. I merely reported that I had observed that others had.

I have had a few calls to investigate allegations made by students and other parents of students concerning our schools since the early 1990's, and I have found no great cause for concern. One reason is that I do not go to the school angry and believing everything that I have been told. I wait until I hear both sides of the story. The school employees involved have always been forthcoming and helpful, but sometimes, they were just following policy set by the school board. They were doing nothing more or less than what they were instructed to do in a particular situation.

That our schools and their staff are compared to the Gestapo on several occasions by various people talking about different incidents at different schools tells me two things. First, that our social studies classes taught some people something that stuck with them. More importantly, our schools have a public relations problem that needs attention.

I was quite taken aback when the word "Gestapo" was used the first time in reference to our schools. I was shocked when it was repeated by different people. But the accusation that I used the term in reference to our schools or school employees is false, I merely reported what I had heard.

As to the statement "like he has some extreme knowledge that causes every point or agenda he states to be the absolute only resolution to a problem", that is poppycock. It is not "extreme knowledge" that leads me to question anything; it is research into fact that leads me there. The facts are available to everyone with the motivation to look for them and I find it hard to believe that people plan to do things WITHOUT doing even the most basic research.

Compromise is something that we all do to an extent; however, does anyone compromise on every issue? I do not and will not. There are things that are too important to compromise and get less than full measure. For me, the education of future generations is one of them.

You may view me as "pompous and arrogant" if you so wish. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, and I learned a long time ago that to do things that are out of character so that another holds you in higher regard is to lie to yourself and the world. You are simply who you are and people will either like you or not. Only a tiny fraction of the world's population even knows that you exist and an even smaller number of people know you well enough to have enough knowledge to form any opinion. I feel good about myself and that is what counts. I hope everyone else does, too.

I do not write about all of the wonderful aspects of our community as there is little need. Other people do that. I, on the other hand, draw attention to what I feel we need to improve. If I did not feel that our community could improve, I would move. If I thought that our community was perfect, I would be a blind and stupid fool. As I believe neither of those things, I will work to improve our community as best I can. Who knows, working in conjunction with others, I just might make a difference. In this life, what else can a person hope for?