Other Columns by Thomas D. Segel
Thomas D. Segel Bio

Printer-Friendly Version

Teach The Little Children...And Corrupt Their Minds
By Thomas D. Segel
May 6, 2003

It matters not what faith is being followed when parents consider the welfare of their children. The words written in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs are repeated time and again in various forms throughout most of the world's religions. "Train up the children the way they should go, and they will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

Every parent knows this. Young minds will soak up information as if they are sponges drawing in all that newly imparted knowledge. Unfortunately, these fresh young minds will absorb as much bad information as they will good.

We see this in cases of child abuse. All too often, those who were abused as children grow up to become abusers in their own right.

We see it in cases of bigotry and racism. Those who are taught hate as children grow up to become adults who practice the same kinds of hatred.

If these things are so apparent to the mothers and fathers of our country, then why do they stand idly by and allow the poisons of revisionism, socialism and anti Americanism to contaminate our schools?

One answer might be that the same virus also contaminated the parents who were also once students in this distorted educational system. Because these are the same things they were taught parents today have little personal knowledge or experience enough to detect what is going wrong in our nation's classrooms.

The revisionists have rewritten history in the image of what they perceive as being politically correct. Denigration of historical figures from Christopher Columbus to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and even Abraham Lincoln has taken place. In many of our approved textbooks, even the mention of their names has vanished, to be replaced with revisionist versions of everything from the Revolutionary War to the conflicts of today.

The social engineering of our public schools can be seen in how America now views the Holocaust. The idea of a nation systematically bringing about the deaths of people numbered in the millions is so incomprehensible that students will quickly reach out to any alternative explanation. Factual distortion to complete elimination of the Holocaust in textbooks has occurred across the United States. Added to that element of educational failure, are the lectures of revisionists, which have added to the lie. Today, it is estimated that 20% to 25% of Americans believe the Holocaust never happened.

With the powerful leftist National Education Association defending every wrong-headed public school action and their equally partisan media organizations parroting the mantra of the left, it is no wonder the voices of concerned citizens are never heard.

In a recently released Zogby Poll, which was ignored by the media, four out of every five parents expressed strong opposition to the explicit content of public school sex education programs. They also strongly objected to quietly passed laws in many states, which allow minor children to be taken out of the classroom for psychiatric examinations, birth control visitations and related birth control procedures without the consent or knowledge of the parents.

We see continuing decline in English, history, math and science scores. We watch, taking no action, while those who we thought were teachers practice the double-speak of social orientation programs. We wait for someone else to take the lead, when we see the places, which were once our schools, turned into socialist indoctrination centers. And seldom do we even ask for a serious examination of the multiple problems in schools across the United States.

There are really only two choices left for parents. They can retake control of their schools and assure the future education of their children. Or they can let the social engineering program continue. If the second choice prevails, those in place will continue to teach the little children and corrupt their minds.

----------

Thomas D. Segel, a retired Marine journalist, served 26 years in a variety of assignments, including the war in Korea and two tours of duty in Vietnam. He is a twice-wounded former combat correspondent who holds eight personal decorations for valor and meritorious service.
Winner of the Thomas Jefferson Award for journalistic excellence, he is also author of several books, including "Men in Space", which was placed on both the national high school and junior high school library lists.
Segel received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas Pan American and his graduate degree from Vanderbilt University. During his years as an educator he taught Government and Economics.
He is a past National President of the United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association. Readers may contact Segel at tomsegel@tiagris.com