Mid-Life Philosophy--6

The Key to Freedom

I live in a land of liberty. Freedom, perhaps more than anything else, is the value that unites us as a nation. We may have different ideas about how to go about ensuring our freedom, but we all want to be free. Freedom is attacked from both the outside and the inside. Our amazing military helps to protect us against the outside forces that would destroy our liberty. And I believe teachers are among those who protect us from the destructive forces on the inside.

My opinion is that education is the key to democracy. An educated people is a free people. Educated people will work to maintain their own rights and to guarantee liberty for all. This is why I shamelessly support the public school system. Oh, I have my doubts about aspects of "the system." But the whole idea of free schools open to every single child in the entire country--what a concept! It's brilliant! As I study history, I can't help but feel that the idea of public school is one of those ideals that set America apart from the beginning.

I am not saying teachers in any way replace the much more important role of parents in educating children. I feel passionately about the responsibility of parents to teach their children, especially about faith, morals, and social values. I feel so passionately about parents' responsibility that I educate my own children at home. However, this post is about my personal philosophy on the role of educating every single citizen.

I am grateful for the education I received from my public school teachers. I was lucky to be the fourth child in my family, which means my older siblings had weeded out the really good teachers from the mediocre ones. I knew, from their experience, which classes to take in my high school. Maybe that's why I had such a fantastic experience in school. I had my favorite teachers, of course. I remember them. If I had any duds, they've faded from memory. My public school experience prepared me well for my university education. I have no complaints.

I know some public schools are better than others. The ideal is to offer the same quality education to children no matter the socioeconomic level of their parents. We're working toward that ideal to make us equal in opportunity and set every person at liberty to choose their own path. It's not perfect, far from, but it's an ideal we can support. Every person deserves a chance to learn.

To me, learning is freedom.