FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS

Today I’m driving home from a fun evening in Naples, Florida. I purposely left around noontime so that I could listen to the speakers on the MARCH FOR OUR LIVES rally. It was quite a different perspective when you are listening for words and not be distracted by appearances or body language. There were lots of tears as I’m listening to all these students express their feelings, anger, hearts and yes even threats to the adults who won’t listen. Senator Marco Rubio was singled out, congressman and the NRA were all called out. Today was the day of rebuttal to Charleton Heston’s 2000 NRA convention speech, where he stated that his gun would only be removed “from my cold dead hands”.

Well, that day is almost here!

As teachers and educators over the years, what we have attempted to teach students is how to prepare for the future, whether it’s reading lessons, math classes or history classes. Special recognition to English teachers, Language Arts teachers and History teachers who have infused debate to their students. Debate teachers who have imparted various skills to their students especially how to discern facts from smoke. I was impressed that all arguments were made without cursing or foul language. We have trained these students well.

The NRA has now encountered professional debaters. These kids have studied both sides of the argument, the pros and cons, point and counterpoints. These kids who experienced death in front of their eyes will use only the facts to counteract the silly NRA arguments.

Yes, these kids from Parkland are from a very affluent community, but they now understand how to put the marketing lessons, the history lessons and everything that didn’t work at Columbine, Sandy Hook, Orlando and Las Vegas into the forefront of their fight.

There is certainly a change coming and from the millions of new voters in the next 2 years. Charleton Heston and the NRA, these kids will snatch it from your cold dead hands if necessary, but it will be snatched. Youth will be served !

They are on the right side of HISTORY!

I WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE!

As many of you know, Lily is a Palm Beach County Court Appointed Special Advocate, aka, Guardian ad litem, for a 17 year old girl with two children.  Yes, that’s right, 2 kids.

Today I sat in on this 17 year old’s dependency hearing in front of a magistrate, as well as a meeting Lily had with her GAL supervisor.

I watched and listened to all of the concerned parties, from  DCF caseworkers, child’s attorney, psychologist, attorney for the parent, the dad and his translator, GAL. Over the speaker phone I heard the child’s voice for the very first time.  She sounded like a 12 year old who might be 5 feet tall. It broke my heart at the thought that this child was living at some unwed mother’s home while attending school and still tending to her kids.

As a school administrator, I have been on the other side where counselors are trying to get information on a child in distress.

I immediately flashed to last night’s episode of This is Us where Deja was moved around  because of her mother’s inability to take care of her child. The suffering that foster kids must go through every night for weeks, months and years. A child must be in their glory when they find foster parents who actually care for their welfare and actually love them. I later met with Lil’s GAL supervisor who handles placements for 12-15 kids while she looks for acceptable GAL’s to work with the kids. She was going to assign another child to Lil and was looking to find a good fit. Hats off to all foster parents and all in the child services industry.

No, I am not ready to become a GAL, but I am looking at the possibility of working on the naturalization process for children and adults trying to become citizens. I will be training on teaching these non-citizens to reach their lifetime goals.

I still want to make a contribution that benefits my community. I will learn how to teach again. Motivated and inspired by my wife,I will conquer new challenges and attempt to bring new life to others.