Sunday Musings - August 13, 2023

​Sunday Musings - August 13, 2023
Wolfs in sheep’s clothing.
 
An oft repeated warning by religious and secular prophets, including those in the Christian New Testament and in some often-disputed accounts of Aesop fables, is “Be aware of wolfs in sheep’s clothing.”  The Latin proverb version is Pelle sub agnina latitat mens saepe lupina. (Under a sheep’s skin often hides a wolffish mind.)
 
Increasingly, many in the United States House of Representatives and many state legislators have introduced and or passed bills under the general name of parent’s rights bills.  Currently the bill in Congress is H. R. 5.   In West Virginia U. S. Army Veteran and Uranium One Whistleblower who is running for a West Virginia Congressional seat is urging the West Virginia Legislature to introduce and pass a bill ensuring the right of parents to dictate teaching curriculum, library resources, discussion with students regarding sexual concerns and other issues which can and does include gender, the history of slavery and a host of other issues which may conflict with some conservative religious beliefs.   Such bills encourage and/or demand provisions for parental and school board members examination of detailed curriculum plans, library books, and technology use.  In many states, including Florida, schools are having to use educational dollars to satisfy requirements of these bills.  Teachers are being so restricted that many are leaving the profession or, at the very least, seeking jobs in other states.
 
The primary assumptions underlying these bills seem to be:
 

• Teachers are uneducated people programmed by effete liberals who are godless, communists, who want to brainwash students to be gender neutral, sex crazed robots, and who will destroy all that conservative Christians hold dear.

 

• Parents are educated, loving, spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually healthy individuals who know what is best for their children, the community, and the country.  They and only they also know what the God of their understanding expects and wants from us humans.

 

• Children are empty vessels incapable of knowing what they feel, of having rational thoughts, and devoid of any possible moral/ethical opinions of their own.

 
The truth is:
 

• Teachers are highly trained, intelligent, educated individuals who have a minimum of 4 years of college, often graduate courses (many have graduate degrees), have served internships. been evaluated by experienced licensed teachers, passed licensing exams, been vetted by state agencies, and are required to take continuing education courses yearly.   Are there still some who go through all this and become burnt out, have other emotional or mental health issues or are just poor teachers? Of course.  School administrators or other staff need to be very diligent in identifying those few teachers who are not currently able to do what they were trained and vetted to do.

 

• Biological parents.  The only requirement to be a biological parent is to able to successfully fertilize a female egg with a male sperm.  This may be accomplished by intercourse or medically assisted fertilization techniques.  To lose one status as legal parents one must be identified and convicted of gross mistreatment (mainly physical) of one’s children.   To be clear, some biological parents do an amazing job of raising children and keeping the best interest of children in the forefront.  Sadly, many are unable to parent well.

 

• 3.Adoptive parent:  Generally adopted parents undergo close examinations before being allowed to adopt unless one is a close relative of a deceased or otherwise unavailable biological parents.  Often these are grandparents. In an age of an opioid crisis grandparents may or may not be carefully vetted depending on case load of often poorly paid, extremely overworked social workers and child advocates.

  

• 4.Foster parents:  Vetting again varies depending on caseloads, emergency needs, and many other factors.   Research reveals some amazing, healthy foster parents and some extremely abusive ones who have their own agendas for the children having nothing to do with the needs of the children.

 

• 5.  Children.  Although children need guidance from educated people whose primary concern is what is best for children, it is extremely important to listen to and trust what children are telling one.  Children know what they are feeling.  If a child feels unsafe, are attracted to same or opposite sex (or both), more comfortable in the role of the gender which is different from the one they were assigned at birth or have questions about sex or other subjects they will self-monitor what they are ready to hear/learn.  Children at an early age are aware of real or socially constructed differences such as race. They can and do process historical facts which are positive and negative.  Of course, as children become teenagers they may also, at times, not be above baiting or testing out the sincerity or the naiveness of we adults.   There are some traumatized children or children with mental illness. Children, if they know it is safe, will communicate something is wrong or strange with how they are experiencing the world.  Children are very curious about other people and the world at large.   They will ask about what they are ready to learn.

 

• 6.  Community parents.  The truth is it takes all of us sharing our expertise to listen carefully to children and using the most accurate science available to make the best possible decisions children.  This may include children, parents, other family members, teachers, school counselors, other therapists, medical personnel, and possibly other experts.  Fear, superstitions, political position, and mental health issues of parents or other care givers should have no role in deciding what is best for children.

 
In short beware of bills which purport to protect children and parents’ rights.  Beware of wolfs in sheep clothing; those whose agenda have everything to do with promoting their self-serving and fear driven agendas and nothing to do with the actual needs of children.  The phrase “parents’ rights” may offer good sound bites but is empty of the morals and ethics which will keep us moving forward as a democratic, loving, and just community. 
 
Written August 13, 2023
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org