Free Republic

I was planning to stay out of this year’s welfare-reform debate, since I’ve written so often about welfare in the past. But it is exasperating that many journalists still write about welfare as if it were, in the words of one classic headline, "a gift to the nation’s children." Why can’t we, instead of proposing new "gifts" to poor children, think through ways to return the gifts they once had? Most poor children once had the gift of a father living with them, a powerful figure who offered a mysterious combination of love and discipline. Poor fathers in generations past...

Saudi Arabian government declaring all out war against Christianity within its bordersWithin the last 2 years, the US government has been receiving very favorable statements from the Saudi government in regards to religious toleration within its borders, especially to the over 200,000 person Christian community. The Saudi regime has verbally committed to the State Department, notable Senators and Congressmen the provision for allowing Christian worship in private homes. The Saudi government had previously stated such provisions for religious freedom exist in the Arab News as well as at the 1998 dedication of the Saudi-funded Mosque in Los Angeles (stating that...

I told my daughter I was going to write an article entitled "my son-in-law the hero", because he took all his long-service leave so he could stay home and bond with their new baby. "Mum," she said (mothers will recognise the tone), "how long do women take off work to have babies, and no one tells us we're heroes."She's right, of course. Even so, I think men who take time off to look after children should be praised and flattered as much as possible. Because it is only when men are as involved as women in caring for children that...

(CNSNews.com) - The University of Arkansas has announced plans to offer a class on the presidency of Bill Clinton, scandals and all. Beginning in January, the school will offer "The Clinton Presidency," which it says will touch on the former president's achievements and the controversies surrounding his time in office. "This isn't a whitewash," said University of Arkansas at Little Rock political science professor Margaret Scranton, who will teach the class and develop the curriculum. "We're going to deal with the scandals and how you govern in the midst of it all ... the politics of personal destruction. That's part...

First year rough but rewarding New teacher bids farewell to initial class of his career By MELANIE MARKLEY Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the last in a series of articles about a first-year teacher and his mentor in the Houston Independent School District.For Craig Brandenburg, Thursday was a day of signing T-shirts and giving farewell hugs to the first students he ever taught. As school drew to a close at Garcia Elementary, there was the usual mix of emotions -- the sadness of goodbyes, the joy of reaching another milestone, the anticipation of summer's arrival. Brandenburg, 24,...

<p>''Mesopotamia. The Renaissance. Christopher Columbus. The Constitution. Civil War. Normandy. Martin Luther King Jr. Sputnik. Vietnam. History is more than a series of events; it's more than just stories and pictures; it's more than just people. History is a unique combination of people, places, events, and circumstances that come together to reveal the character of the peoples, nations, and worlds of the past. Thus, when I look at history, a variety of thoughts and interpretations come to mind. Without the past, there would be no present. ''</p>

Boys: The New Underclass in American Schools April 15, 2002by Glenn J. Sacks I wait for my son as he stands in line after school to get his daily behavior report. The first grade students are fidgety in the line, which is probably why they are the "bad kids" who need the behavior reports to begin with. All 10 of these children have one thing in common--they're all boys. Soon the little boys will wear the same sad faces that are on their behavior reports, next to the teacher's angry exclamation points. Like my son, they will trudge home...

Teacher's reply to Principal's counseling session: Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. Not only that, I'm to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, behaviorally modify disruptive behavior, and observe them for signs of abuse, drugs, and T-shirt messages. (And check to see that shorts have a 4" inseam, blouses cover belly buttons, and no one's crack or underwear is showing.) I am to fight the war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check...

I am interested in the thoughts and opinions of my fellow Freepers. I have a degree in English and History from the 70's. I have taken the steps to take the CBEST test here in Phoenix. My husband and I are planning to move to California in 2003, and I am contemplating going into the teaching profession, probably high school English. My quandary is, the amount of money it will take to attain a certificate. I have to wait until 2004 to be a resident if I want to go to the state universities. In the meantime I can do...