09/13/2024
When I was a child in elementary school, we had on the walls the 10 Commandments. They were not there just in representing religions but were there to teach us children. What it taught us was to treat others as we wanted to be treated and not do anything wrong to hurt any other human. People may say it was propaganda, to brain wash us as kids. However, everything I remember of being in elementary school, there was no propaganda. The teachers taught us reading, writing, arithmetic, English, history. On the most part, they stayed focused on the subjects we needed to learn to get us to the next grade and hopefully into college if this was our desire. The way I remembered those 10 Commandments was to be a guideline, not something to convince us to become a participant in one religion or another. I was a child, and I thought a lot more about playing at recess and other things children should be thinking about. I finally did understand this; to be a Christian, it would have to be my individual decision to accept and believe of Jesus on my own. It was nothing anyone could force me into believing or want. I want to make one statement quick before moving on, we only had sticks, or if could afford it toy plastic guns to play cowboys with. There were no video games that made it seem real to be killing someone and to be rewarded for how many you killed. We may play cowboys for a little time, but then would move on to other things. Such as baseball, football, basketball. Now for us whose parents enjoyed watching Saturday morning wrestling, we may try to imitate some of those wrestlers. But once we found out some of those moves could really hurt, we did not keep doing them. After all, these were our friends, and we desired to keep our friends. Some of these friends were like family. We would spend the night with one another and seemed as if we had 2 sets of parents.
Back to school and the 10 commandments. Our teachers had to plan their days so they could get everything in which we needed to learn. They did not have time to try to brainwash us. They were held responsible for seeing we as students got what we needed concerning our studies. There was no extra time for them to teach us what they believed. The fact was, they would get in trouble if they went outside of the curriculum we needed as students. Yes, there were those special times when certain groups were allowed to share with us, but none of them were allowed to pressure us into believing what they were saying. It was still our choice, even as children. I feel this was just the beginning of us learning we always have choices and hopefully we would make the correct choice. Let us remove the title of “The Ten Commandments”, which is associated with Judaeo-Christian beliefs. What is wrong with teaching all people that they should not kill? That they should not steal! That they should not lie, but always tell the truth regardless of the consequences, even losing a friend over it! To honor and respect your parents! If you are going to marry, stay true to that person and do not desire someone else’s husband or wife. What about, not wanting the material things of someone else without working for those things yourself. If we work for things, then as we get them it continues to help us build our esteem and not become bitter. Our teachers had the right to discipline us. Yes, many today cannot even correct someone too harshly out of fear of losing their job. Here is my testimony of being disciplined. In the first grade, our teacher was very strict and if we did not mind or even reach for something which did not belong to us, she may strike our hand with a ruler. This teacher also kept a bag of candy in her desk drawer. When she would leave the room some of the kids would go and steal candy out of her drawer. Many of us thought she was mean as hell! However, I had a wreck on my bike where I was thrown into the air and came down hitting face first on a concrete sidewalk. It skinned me up, especially my nose, which scrabbed completely over. I stayed home from school for several days. Then there was a knock on our door, and it was this teacher who came by to check on me and make sure I was okay. Before she left, she wished me a speedy recovery. But then she opened her purse and pulled out her bag of candy and gave the whole bag to me. It showed me even though she disciplined her students, she loved each of us individually. This is one of the good memories from my childhood! On the most part, Government needs to keep their hands out of school and permit teachers to teach the subjects needed. It is sad when teachers are being slapped around, threatened with knives and even shot. I will say this, and you do not have to agree with me, but removing the 10 Commandments only removed the moral compass students understood and were held accountable to regardless of whether they ever converted to this religion or that religion.
When parents themselves must call the police in to arrest their own children because they have become uncontrollable, something must change! When kids now view death as a reward in being lawless, something is wrong and there needs to be change. When kids view murdering someone else because they feel mistreated and justified, then something must change. I am not a right winger… a gun did not kill anyone. The gun in someone’s hand feeling and thinking they have the right to murder is wrong and they committed the act. Without the feeling of the person, the murder would not have happened. Most of the murders happening in Memphis are due to kids either stealing weapons to use, or falsifying information on forms to buy a gun. If our Intelligence Agencies can listen in on lawful citizens, then why not use this technology to fine the people with stolen guns and crack down on the lawbreakers, even as they could a theft ring if they chose to do so? See, I think for myself and do not let this group or that group blind me into believing what benefits one over the other. I could have been persuaded to continue to think of my first-grade teacher as mean, even after the visit. In the classroom she did not change, and I had friends who still thought she was mean and could not believe I no longer saw her as being mean. But I had the experience of the candy! Please think about this and get back to thinking with common sense and not believing everything they try to sell us. If I could have my way, the 10 Commandments would go back on the walls of the schools, not based on a religion, but simply how we should treat one another as people and a Nation… However, I am not ashamed to say I believe in the God who wrote these Commandments, and His Son, Jesus who confirmed them when he walked on this earth. God bless you, whether you believe in Him or not!
