Rule # 4

Well the mid-term elections are over and we can finally put an end to all the bickering and fighting, or can we? I don't care what side of the aisle you may be on, I think we all agree that the fighting, bullying and hate, has to stop. I believe our country is to good for all the violence and craziness that is going on from both political parties. Most of us who have lived a long time certainly remember political ads that tore into each other or candidates that debated each other by slinging mud. However, it seems to be getting worse each election. We are seeing violence to a whole different level and acts that are outright disgraceful. The question then becomes, what can we do about it?

As I said earlier, we have a great country and some great people living in it. As we reflect back on loved ones this Veterans day, we can see all the great sacrifices so many have made for this country. So many brave soldiers both past and future. However, I am fearful for my grandchild's future, for the future of all our young students here at Vantage. I started to ask myself, how did we get to this point and what can we do about it?

One of the things I like to tell the student's that come and see me about so many different problems going on in their life is, "don't look at all the problems at once, break them down into smaller chunks and let's attack the smaller pieces first". I use the example of eating an elephant; how do you ever eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So how do we attack this problem with society and political discourse that seems so big to us? We attack it by starting small.

I have mentioned Ron Clark's book before, which is "The essential 55". These are basically 55 rules that Ron Clark believes would make every student successful if they followed them. I was looking them over and thought if all of us could just use Rule # 4, "Respect other students' comments, opinions, and ideas", then we would have a great start at attacking this problem we are seeing in our society today. We certainly don't have to agree with every thought and idea that someone else has but we should listen to the other person, engage in civil dialogue and then move on.

I'm not saying I have the answer to today's anger and rage in politics. However, if we can start practicing Rule # 4 at a basic level like our classroom, place of work, or at home, then I believe we would be off to a great start. Imagine having a healthy discussion, sharing ideas, debating certain issues, and then walking away with both sides feeling respected and heard. That is what made this country so great and maybe it is the first baby step to improving what we are seeing today.

I said I worry about the future for our children but at the same time, I see so much good from our youth and staff here at Vantage. This Saturday is Veteran's Day and I am proud of the service time that Mr. Darrell Miller, Mr. Larry Regedanz and Mrs Amy Grothouse have given for this country. If there are others here at Vantage, I am sorry I missed you. These are the one's I know for sure. I also am so very proud of the students here at Vantage who have enlisted and will be serving our country after graduation. I know Austin Weyrauch and Bryce Slattman have already signed up and have gone through their MEPS training. They will be leaving for basic this summer. I can't tell you how proud I am of both of you and thank you for your service. Finally, to all of you who served and will serve, thank you for your service and your dedication to keeping this country safe. Let's all work together on Rule # 4 and see if we can make a difference.