One of the most-watched videos on YouTube a few years ago showed the struggle of a water buffalo family and herd to save a child. It’s called the Battle at Kruger Park. It begins with a buffalo mother, father, and child meandering peacefully ahead of the herd unaware that a pride of six lions is stealthily easing up to attack them. Sensing the danger too late, the water buffalo parents and calf immediately turn and run away. The child cannot keep up. The six swift lions lunge and overpower this slowest and most vulnerable family member, tumbling with him into a river. As the lions attempt to pull the buffalo calf from the water, a crocodile grabs one of the child’s legs, eager to share the bounty. The tug of war between the lions and crocodiles over the young buffalo prey seems to last a painful eternity. As the lions win and drag the buffalo child onto land and surround him, ready for the kill, you realize, joyfully, that the child is still alive, but are horrified that he now is going to be devoured.
In the middle of this life-and-death drama, you suddenly hear and then see movement as a large herd of water buffalo—a rescue posse—comes storming in to surround the lions, who do not immediately relinquish the child despite being greatly outnumbered. After a moment of herd uncertainty, one angry buffalo—who I just know was the mother—furiously attacks a lion with her horns and hurls him away. Others in the herd follow her lead and confront another lion, but still are unable to extricate the child. Another attempt succeeds as the child struggles to its feet, and the herd swiftly surrounds and whisks him away. A buffalo remains to chase a remaining lion away. Incredulous that the child was saved, I asked myself: Where is our human posse—our community and citizen posse—as powerful human lions and crocodiles eat our children alive across America today? And what lesson should this thrilling rescue of a water buffalo child provide us about our responsibility to protect and save our endangered children?
Protect the most vulnerable first. Powerful animal—and political—predators go after the weakest and the most vulnerable first and so we see far too many politicians calling for cuts in safety net programs for children at a time when one in five of them is poor and they are getting poorer. They propose to take away food when children and their families are hungry and homeless and cut early childhood and education investments when millions lack the reading and computing skills they need to survive in our economy. The ultimate test of American democracy, historian Taylor Branch says, “is whether we can protect our voteless, most vulnerable group—children—without whom there is no future.” So I hope you will join the human posse to rescue our vulnerable children from political predators.
I believe deeply that our unjust neglect of and failure to invest fully in all of our children is the economic and spiritual Achilles’ heel that will topple America’s leadership in the world in the twenty-first century. I want to yell, “It’s the children, stupid!” It’s the children—all children—who are the key to a safer, more economically viable and just nation and world order. And for those of us who seek to heed the prophets and Jesus Christ and who believe children are also the key to God’s kingdom, why are we so silent in the face of so much child suffering and need?
Parents alone cannot protect children: it takes a community and aroused citizens. There are many lurking dangers that threaten children over which parents have too little control like the massive joblessness and foreclosures and misguided tax cuts for the wealthy that have ravished our economy.
I am encouraged though, by two powerful leaders who get it—that it’s the children. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says: “No economy can succeed without a high-quality workforce, particularly in an age of globalization and technical change. Cost-effective K-12 and post-secondary schooling are crucial to building a better workforce, but are only part of the story. Research increasingly has shown the benefits of early childhood education and efforts to promote the lifelong acquisition of skills for both individuals and the economy as a whole. The payoffs of early childhood programs can be especially high.” And Nobel Laureate economist James Heckman in a letter to the National Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Reform wrote: “…it is a natural reaction to cut spending when faced with a budget deficit. Make no mistake, reducing spending in some areas is necessary and warranted. However, when one has dug themselves into a hole, the solution is not to stop digging as much as to start digging the hand and toe holds that facilitate climbing out. Investing in early childhood education is that hand and toe hold.”
When Dr. King left us in 1968, calling for a Poor People’s Campaign, there were 11 million poor children. Today there are 15.5 million poor children and who knows what the new poverty data will show on September 13th. I’ve no doubt he’d be calling for a poor people’s campaign today. I suggest that a loud organized voting citizen posse call on our President and Congressional leaders to begin with a poor children’s campaign and commit to protecting rather than cutting children’s food, shelter, health, early childhood development, and education they need for a positive future. Dr. King is not coming back. We’re it. Let’s get going to rescue children from the political lions poised to attack them in the weeks and months ahead.
Follow Marian Wright Edelman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChildDefender
In prison, he found a discarded bible, and used it to teach himself to read. He met a lady teacher who helped him get his GED.
Once he was parolled he spent his time between work helping neighbors, and church. He married and had kids. he now has two jobs, counsel's at risk tweens an teens, and still spends 6 hours a week in church.
Was his rough start his fault? Did he "deserve" a second chance? I'm just a bit biased, that lady teacher who looked beyond the jailbird punk exterior was my ex. He's now my son, adopted as an adult. His name is Eli.
The assistant became warden, the lady who JUST wanted to teach got reprimand after reprimand for things the more pliable teachers didn't. Meanwhile they were on track to have a graduating class that was 30% larger than the previous year. Then one day she was escorted off the property for "giving one inmate power over other inmates" ... she had allowed an inmate being paid to be a teaching assistant to actually assist another with a math problem....
The teacher's union sued the prison. She eventually got a wrongful termination ruling and back wages, but was not allowed to resume teaching in the prisons...No local district seemed to want her, she got a job as a telemarketer.
Conservatives will tell you our education system is broken. and we spend too much for too little results. And they blame the unions for protecting "deadwood"... I guess a .300 average ain't too bad in baseball.
Education IS broken. School boards are pretty much petty feifdoms for folks who don't have the talent and charisma to run for big dog office, and don't want to actually do the work required for being dogcatcher. Administrators don't, won't back up teachers when it comes to disciplining unruly students, but do reward those teachers who kiss said administrator's butts instead of standing up for the students who want to learn. A new football stadium is more important than art classes or newer textbooks. And that is just in relatively affluent, suburban schools! In the inner cities it's often a lot like teaching in the prisons..... There IS no money for even the basic supplies. They give them no support.Cancel stuff that might motivate the kids to WANT to be in school to save more money Then threaten to fire the teachers because the kids aren't learning....
THAT is the reality.of education in the US. Privatisation, and union busting will fix those problems, how?
Your story is one of many about everyday American Hero’s that go un-noticed or unrecognized by our so called affluent community leaders.
They (the leaders) don’t want to be recognized by their peers for giving Credit where Credit is due because it might spoil their image as a hard ass Political Figure.
But they would gladly seek punishment for those who think outside the box while righting a serious wrong.
Your story is a perfect example of the twisted system that has been created over time.
Regardless of how well an idea would help the American people… There is “Someone, Somewhere”, ready and willing to stop it from happening.
You truly have a Son to be proud of.
F&F
Neighbor
-V-
This nation is so very corrupt and blinded from it's own global behaviour that no one would expect to see any difference within it's own boundaries. This is an excellent article, but a hard pill to swallow, hence the negative reviews and lack of solutions. The admission of failure is the cornerstone for success.
Mo Tue Tong once said," Capitalism will eventually lead to dehumanization."
It's really a very twisted and dangerous world view.
I would suggest that any society reflects the collective psyches of those WHO CREATED IT. Then, as the species evolves, that structure no longer serves the collective because we've moved beyond that world view to embrace a richer, more nuanced understanding of life. At that point, society breaks down (destruction) to allow for the birth (creation) of a new world view that aligns more closely with the collective values humanity wishes to express.
My sense is that the reasons all our systems are collapsing in tandem today is that the longstanding belief that humans are separate from each other (and from the living world) is collapsing, making room for a deeper understanding of life's inextricable interconnectivity. From that perspective predation loses steam, because we can't successfully prey on what we're part of without harming ourselves and our capacity to thrive.
Our existing systems were founded on separation consciousness. Once they collapse, which seems inevitable, we'll be able to implement new systems that incorporate our new level of understanding. In our case, what's evolving is not our physiology, it's our own understanding of who we are and how we fit into the larger living world, AS life - not simply as observers who are separate from life.
Mentoring young graduate teachers (who are cheap to hire) and slowing their terrible attrition rate (a huge hidden cost) through support and the passing-on of vital skills, can only be done by experienced teachers. That costs money.
That is not to say that parents play no role in their child's education. But even the most diligent parent is not going to get optimum results for their children from a school starved of funds and staffed by inexperienced teachers. It is a two-pronged approach.
What is included in curricula that doesn't serve students? I'm interested in your views.
Well run schools can offset these deficits somewhat, but an institution cannot fully replace parents, peers, and role model adults in a child's life.
But my comment was directed at what appeared to be Ms. Edelman's belief that we need much more money in education. That may be true in some schools, but I don't think it is the main problem nationwide. If you could somehow get every student in the generic "failing" school to come to school with a positive attitude and try to learn all they can, that school would soon cease to "fail", even with the same finances and staff.
I don't doubt that rigid curricula covering topics students see as irrelevant is part of why they don't have a positive attitude. We could talk about several other components of successful schools. But adding money alone won't be successful, and doing the things the best schools and communities already do, would result in more success without significantly more money.
Im guessing the OP wants more money for low income public schools with bad test scores. Thats a complete guess. Another guess would be that the OP wants to protect entitlement programs, although the only ones I can think of that directly effect children are medicare and welfare. My Mother in law has spent most her life on the welfare system, and everything my wife tells me is not good. Basically, when you give people money and expect nothing in return, some people choose to do nothing. So, based on my wifes experience, I favor welfare reform.
Another guess would be that the OP saw some video on Youtube, lol'd, and wrote something quickly that turned out to be gibberish. This seems most likely.
If Warren Buffet suggesting higher taxes on the rich doesn't penetrate the mindset of congress, particularly the House of Representatives, then I don't know what will. I feel like this country is in the iron grip of corporate interests and the delusions of a few about what will help this country out of the mess we are in. I wish I felt more hopeful.
First, water buffalo don't have children - they have calves. They are also very protective of their young and work together to protect them. The government bureaucrats at the Kruger Park showed their incompetence at not controlling the lion heards and not protecting the young animals better. Just goes to show that the government cannot protect you or save you.
We should learn from the water buffalo lesson and work together to save ourselves and depend on government less.
2. "Government" is the means by which people "work together" for worthwhile public purposes such as educating children. The idea that "government" is somehow an enemy is true only if people put very poor leaders in charge of it.
on the 2nd point, - government is a neccassry evil and should be kept as small as possible. The larger it gets, the more control it wants - no matter who is in charge.
People have been working together for ages without government intervention.