NO. 900 THE BAILOUT THAT REALLY HURTS!
No. 900
Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THE BAILOUT THAT REALLY HURTS!
Dr. Charlotte Rainey Green is an educator who lives here in our community and works for our local school system. She is a friend of mine and is a clear voice for common sense and reason when it comes to presenting an important issue that is impacting all of our society, not only here but across the United States of America.
She chronicles this issue in her new book titled “Parent Bailout: The Bailout That is Really Crippling America.” Unlike bailouts that have been in the news in recent months that have cost American taxpayers billions of dollars, this one flies beneath the radar and is seldom talked about or addressed in a critical or analytical way.
In a very real sense, the bailout she addresses is costing our society much more than those that have been in the news, because they are more or less “one time” bailouts. The parent bailout, however, is so pervasive that it goes on year after year. Dr. Green begins her discussion by dedicating her book to her parents, Carl and Icy Rainey, and then tells the reader why they were so special. She is one of 15 children and they are all productive citizens in our society. Her parents understood that although they had many responsibilities in life, none were greater than the responsibility of parenting.
Here are some qualities that are missing in many homes today. Her parents were able to instruct because they were at home, listening, feeding, teaching and giving their children what they needed emotionally so they did not need to get their physical and emotional needs met elsewhere. Many parents are feeding and clothing but not instructing. In addition to a hot breakfast, her parents made sure their children had what they needed before they went to school every morning. “My siblings and I were blessed; I was taught that your actions follow your beliefs.”
Then she makes a statement that I wish every parent in America could make: “Thank you Mom and Dad for not just talking about what you believe. Thank you for living what you believe and honoring your responsibilities as parents. Your life serves as a model to your children and others, and the term ‘parent bailout’ would not exist if all parents were like you.”
From this point forward, in the following 57 pages she really “cuts to the chase” and lays out the massive problem of too many parents depending on our schools to provide for the needs of their children rather than meeting their own responsibilities.
Today’s school systems are required to implement various family programs to address issues that were once the responsibility of the family. Schools assist with children’s personal care, meals, emotional support and supplies necessary for school. Here is the real rub. School systems are not designed to handle the responsibilities for family support systems for an extended period, as it stretches their resources. Family structures become weaker as the dependency increases on school systems to provide various family services.
Here is why this problem must be addressed in coming years. Parent bailout exhausts government and school resources and lessens the responsibility on families. Public school systems were created with the goal of educating individuals to be productive citizens and contribute to society. They can’t do that if they have to do the job of parenting, too. By all means, get Dr. Green’s book and read it. We may be able to improve our public school system.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)
