Will the Real Lincoln Please Step Forward?

Hi from Peru (Illinois)! Well, my parents and I have had quite a vacation time. We left Thursday evening and stayed at my grandparents for two nights. Then, we drove through El Paso and Mexico! *  (It wasn’t really that exciting because we didn’t even see any Mexicans, but nevertheless we managed to do it!)

One of our stops was the famous Lincoln Museum. Everything in Springfield was Lincoln this, Lincoln that..even their Wal-Mart had pillars with Lincoln quotes all over it. At a Christian school I had taken American History, and so learned a little about the Civil War and Lincoln. What I learned was a little different from what the Museum taught, although some things were quite interesting.

What’s taught by government schools and the Museum:

• Lincoln wanted everyone to be equal and free
• Lincoln saved the black people by issuing the “Emancipation Proclamation”
• Nobody liked Lincoln during the Civil War, but when he died, everyone immedietly turned him into a legend.
• The Civil War was over slavery
• Half of Lincoln’s face smiled, the other half didn’t. :)
• Lincoln couldn’t/wouldn’t discipline his children.

What I learned:

• Lincoln didn’t want everyone free. He said different things to different audiences, as some politicians do to make everyone happy.  One of his shocking quotes is this:

“I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing
about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black
races – that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or
jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry
with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical
difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever
forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.
And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there
must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other
man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.
I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is
to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything.”
Abraham Lincoln
Source: September 18, 1858 – Fourth Debate with Stephen A. Douglas
at Charleston, Illinois.

• Lincoln did not save anyone by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. When he issued it, he had no control over the South since it had seceeded. He had control over the North, but they had no slaves. He had control over the Border States (which did have slaves), but he specifically said the Proclamation did not apply to them. The Museum did talk about this, but did they help support Lincoln’s reasons? No, they merely explained, “Whatever Lincoln did, somebody was not happy about it.” 
• Yes, I did learn that nobody liked Lincoln during the Civil War. I understand why he made some of the decisions that he did. He was so pressured from every side to let the South secede, but he felt it was his holy duty to save the Union at all costs. The United States would probably be different if he had listened to the voices of the people instead.
• Half of Lincoln’s face smiled, half didn’t. Yes! See for yourself–

   

Divide his face in half. It’s really quite fascinating. The movie at the museum said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Perhaps a face can. :)

• It said in one his friend’s letters that Lincoln’s children would come into his office, grab inkwells, papers, documents, and whatever else they could find; pile it up on the floor and dance on the pile. (I’m sure the ink had fun getting everywhere). Lincoln just sat on the couch reading, totally oblivious to his children’s faults. This happened more than once. I thought this was really shocking, especially back in that time period when parents were supposedly more strict. If Lincoln couldn’t keep his own children under control, how could he run an entire nation??? It is extremely puzzling.

So, hopefully you found that interesting and perhaps learned something new. :) I went to the Museum fully expecting to not like him because of what I had been taught, but he really is interesting. One thing I really cringe at, however, is what the people put on the wall in Lincoln’s burial room. Among other things, it was written in bold white: “Lincoln Our Savior.” Disgusting! :P

          Blessings,

               ~April

 

Adoption is an Option

 “I was about 14 when I found I was pregnant. The scariest part was telling my mom. I was growing up in one of those families that if you ever get pregnant, you pack your bags and go. I knew I was pregnant because I hadn’t had a period. I waited until 3 a.m. I packed my clothes, cleaned out my dresser drawers, and put my bags by the front door. I woke my mom and said, ‘I’m pregnant.’

She was sleeping, and she sat up and said ‘What?’ And I jumped off the bed.

What are you going to do?’ she asked.

I started crying and said, ‘I don’t know.’

I told her I thought my only option was abortion. I made an appointment and she was to go with me, but that morning she told me she really didn’t want me to do that. She said there were other options.” –Tatum (Lindsay)

Indeed, there are “other options.” Let us consider the options: keeping the baby or putting it up for adoption. Adoption, seemingly, is not a common choice; however, it is more common than keeping the baby. As a whole, adoption is the wisest choice when it comes to teen pregnancies because it ensures a good family, love, flexibility, and a guilt-free mother.

According to Jeanne Warren Lindsay, author and a coordinator of the Teen Parent Program at Tracy High School in Los Cerritos, California, “A couple of generations ago, many pregnant teens relinquished (gave up, released, surrendered) their babies for adoption. An unmarried adolescent who became pregnant was often hustled off to Aunt Agatha’s home in Missouri where she lived until her baby was born. Usually the young mother didn’t see her baby at all. It was placed for adoption with a family she would never meet, and the entire event was wrapped in secrecy. Her friends were told she was vacationing with Aunt Agatha, and she was urged to forget the whole episode and return to “normal” life as a teen.” (Lindsay) Today, however, the picture is far different. The number of mothers who put their baby up for adoption is, “less than four percent of the half-million who give birth each year in the United States.”(Lindsay) Why is this the case? To be frank, it is because the average teenager is not developed enough to look ahead eighteen years to decide what is best. According to the the National Review, “Teenagers generally ask not what they can do for others, but what others are thinking about them. Is it any surprise that adoption is generally ignored?” (Olavsky) They can only see their present situation, and in their torn, messed up state they look to the easiest, fastest way out.

A very clever saying declares, “Only half of all people that go into abortion clinics come out alive.” Even Ronald Reagan had something to say about it when he declared, “Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.” Abortion took the lives of about 1.5 million babies in 2005, according to National Right to Life News. (“Fruits of Pro-Life Work”) Although it is the easiest, fastest way out, abortion is not without many longterm consequences; many of which are quite devastating to the mother. Monnica Terwilliger who has worked for many years at a counseling center for those recovering from abortion, relates,“Common post-abortion symptoms include depression, nightmares, guilt, regret, avoidance of babies, and even self-destructive behaviors. The difficulties usually get worse over time and not better. Some women are physically damaged from the abortion, and a few are even left permanently infertile. If this is your first pregnancy, aborting can double your risk of developing breast cancer; multiple abortions can increase your risk of breast cancer three-fold.” (Terwilliger) She also remembers many girls who nearly bled to death after what should have been a simple, risk-free operation. Also, consider a 1986 study done by researchers at the University of Minnesota. They concluded, “A teenage girl is 10 times more likely to attempt suicide if she has had an abortion in the last six months than is a comparable teenage girl who has not had an abortion.” (Garfinkel) This is a serious conclusion, and is definitely not something to ignore.

Well, what about keeping the baby? Babies are so cute! That is certainly an option—but only for those who can offer the baby everything it needs, such as time, attention, food, and a family to raise it properly. Think realistically. What if the mother took care of the baby herself only until the ideal time to marry the boyfriend? That is possible, but extremely volatile. Especially in this day and age, “marriage is quietly losing its place in the language and in popular culture. Unmarried people now tend to speak inclusively about ‘relationships’ and ‘intimate partners.’ In the entertainment industry—including films, television, and music—marriage is often neglected or discredited.” (Popenoe 273) Even engaged young couples may break up after they find out the presence of a baby. I remember one of my friends Jane (name changed) who got engaged in eleventh grade, but during the summer they had sex. When she found out she was pregnant, she was thoroughly disgusted with her fiancé, and promptly dumped him. I think marriage would be an acceptable choice, but only if both members of the couple approve of it, and that is mainly the big problem—many couples are not willing to take marriage seriously. Stephanie Coontz, a History and Family Studies teacher at Evergreen State College in Olympia, relates: “The purpose of marriage was to get people to discharge the duties of civil society, to govern their families with prudence and to educate their children with discretion.” (Coontz 261) If the couple is not willing to make this commitment, then would it not be infinitely better to let another couple who are eager and willing to make the commitment adopt the child?

Adoption is a wonderful choice. From the four principles in the National Consortium model, “Adoption is mutually beneficial to parent, child, and society.” (Atkinson 87) The arrangement is extremely well thought-out and organized. For one thing, the family is always thoroughly interviewed by the adoption agency to make sure they know how and are fully able to raise a family. The family must also pay a serious amount of money, which gives a good indication that they have thought through the procedure. The Family Law Quarterly states, “More than 120,000 children are adopted annually in the United States.” (Family Law Quarterly 365) Adoption is, in other words, a popular choice that many couples have made. Even though it takes a huge amount of effort to adopt, many good families are more than willing to do whatever they can for the children. The lives of theses adopted children are precious, and therefore the adoption agency checks up on each family after the adoption every year for the first five years to make sure the child is healthy, happy, and bonding well.

Tatum, the young pregnant teenager in the previous story relates her experience of when she went to a maternity home, “They had this program where you could meet people who had adopted. They brought their children to a picnic, and I said I’d babysit. There was a little girl who was three, another seven or eight, and another who was ten, and all three were adopted. They knew much more about adoption than I did. The youngest little girl asked me, ‘Are you going to have your baby adopted?’ I answered, ‘What do you know about adoption?’ She said, ‘I’m adopted and I have two sets of parents. My mommy says I’m more loved because I have four parents.’ Then she said, ‘Your baby would be so loved’–this from a three-year-old! I also got to meet my counselor’s two adopted children, a daughter two years older than me, and a son four years older. I told her they were so like her and she said, ‘You know they are adopted?’ And I was thunderstruck because they seemed so happy. I started thinking more and more about adoption.” (Lindsay)

Before the pregnant mother decides anything, she must think carefully. The long-run consequences matter just as much as the present condition. What about when the baby is a teenager his or herself? What would be best for him or her? Does the mother have exactly the right conditions for raising a child, or should she let someone else take over who has dreamed of having a baby for years and years? According to the Child & Adolescents Social Work Journal, “The majority of adopted children function quite well as adolescents.” (Benson) The joy of having a child is utterly heavenly. Picture his or her smiling face, his or her laugh, him or her holding mother’s hand and exclaiming, “Mommy, I love you!” Imagine the child becoming a very important person when they grow up; someone to be encouraged and be proud of. Adoption does not have to mean the mother will never see her child ever again. On the contrary, there are many options now to fit almost everyone with their specific situation. For instance, open adoption is “an arrangement by which children legally go to live with people who are not their natural parents, but still continue to communicate with their natural parents.” (“Open Adoption”) It is quite interesting how widely things have changed from when everything was kept top-secret about adoption. The remarkable effort and work put into the arrangement is amazing; much of the work is done by underpaid people who care tremendously about the children and their families.

Adoption is most assuredly the best choice for most pregnant teens. However, the adoption route is not a common decision because many teens are not developed enough to be able to look into the future to decide what is best. All they can think of is, “How do I get out of this horrible mess I’m in as quick and as easy as possible?” Adoption is certainly life changing; few things could be more so. It can be a huge blessing, something wonderful coming from what seems evil and alarming. This procedure is comparable to the children’s story, “The Ugly Duckling.” Despite what started out to be a dreadful looking creature despised by everybody, the “duckling” later turned out to be a beautiful swan that was greatly admired by all. Abortion, though it is extremely common, should be avoided at all costs for the sake of the baby and of the mother. Take time to decide on the right choice, not the quick and easy choice. Consider adoption.

 

 

Let Freedom Ring

Is America really free? You may be shocked at that question. Freedom is what makes America different from all the other countries around the world. Without freedom, our rights are denied, and anger consequently resides in the hearts of the people. Think about this fact, then: This year the California Court Appeal stated that practically all forms of homeschooling in the state is against the law. Why is what happens in California important? Well, if something is passed in one state, it is very likely to spread to other states. About 2 million familes homeschool in the United States, and many want to make it a family tradition. There are many benefits to homeschooling, but for times sake, I shall only list three: kids receive tailored schooling to maximize learning, parents are dedicated teachers, and National Assessment test scores say homeschoolers are just as intelligent as public schoolers, oftentimes more so.

Homeschooling has existed for as long as parents and children have existed. It could be defined as, “the practice of teaching your own children.” It was the new idea of public schooling that made this timeless way of teaching something less well-known. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, parents started doubting the public school way, and wondered if they as parents could do a better job. Guess what? They were right. Many statistics show that homeschool students in grades 1-4 are one grade level ahead of their private and public school peers, and that by eighth grade, the student performs four grade levels higher than the national average. (Rudner) Furthermore, many parents are realizing the advantages of homeschooling, and as of 2002, “the number of families choosing to homeschool grows at an estimated annual rate of 7-15 percent. (Ray) So, why has the California Court Appeal ignored these statistics? I believe they want to take away our freedom; our freedom to train the next generation and help to prepare them being succesful in life.

One great benefit in homeschooling is that kids get tailored schooling to maximize their learning. What this means is that since each kid has specific needs, whether it be difficulty in paying attention, being an audial learner, or needing more challenge than what public school can offer, parents know their children better than anyone else. According to Behrens and Rosen, authors of the book, “Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum,” “The crucial role of parents in shaping the moral, as well as the emotional and intellectual, development of their children, and our society imposes liability, in some cases, on parents who are negligent in this area.” (811)

Another bonus in homeschooling is the fact that parents are dedicated teachers. They devote many long hours in making up a lesson plan, and the instant their child gets a bad grade on a test, they figure out what happened and try to help them so the mistake does not repeat itself. Often these caring parents make their child’s life a priority over their own. If the parent does not know the answer to his or her child’s question, the answer can easily be looked up on the internet. If that strategy fails, there are many other homeschooling parents who are knowledgeable whom the parents may call for help or advice.

There is yet another benefit to homeschooling. Look at what SAT scores show from the College Board, National Center for Education Basics; Natinoal Home Education Research Institute:

“Homeschool, critical reading—568. Homeschool, math—532.                                    

Public school, critical reading—502. Public school, math—515.”

This is a big difference. Let me tell you a secret; I was homeschooled up to seventh grade. I am so thankful for that fact, because my parents have taught me the vital lesson being responsible and thinking for myself. They also gave me a love for learning; when I was ten-years-old I read everything and anything! When I later went to a Christian school in eighth grade, those in my class who were previously homeschooled knew how to pace themselves to complete the otherwise overwhelming homework load. Those who were not paid the price of constantly staying up late the night before it was due.

Well, if homeschooling is such a wonderful option, why then does the California State Appeal wish to outlaw it? A Superior Court judge in Los Angeles County said, “California courts have held that under provisions in the Education code, parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children. ” (Dulaney) A constitutional right? Even the pilgrims who founded America and wrote the constitution homeschooled their children. This law does not make sense; if their is indeed something wrong with homeschooling, we should leave the constitution out of it. The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, does not agree that homeschooling should be outlawed. “This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts, and if the courts don’t protect parents’ rights, then, as elected officials, we will.” (Smith) He agrees that parents’ rights are extremely important. The government simply has no right to take them away. I am sure the government means well; however, I do not think they are considering the case thoroughly. Behrens and Rosen includes a quote by a judge of the Consistory Court of London: ” Courts of Justice do not pretend to furnish cures for all the miseries of human life. They redress or punish gross violations of duty, but they go no farther…” (772) Are these courts in California trying to provide a “cure” for kids so they all go through life the same way, learn things the say way, learn exactly the same ideas? If that is the case, then we are not being trained to think as individuals, but only as a community.

Freedom is what attracts people to our rich and beautiful land, America. We have the freedom to choose any job, live where we want, go to church if we want, speak what we think, etc. It is wonderful, and to remain wonderful, we must sustain this freedom. If we are free to think and believe what we want, then what is wrong with passing our ideas and beliefs to our children? Homeschooling is a unique way of passing down worldviews, ideas, and creativity; and it is a blessing for parents who love to teach their kids everything they know. It builds a beautiful relationship between parent and child.

If American families no longer have influence over raising their kids, then American familes no longer have freedom. As long as homeschoolers do just as well as or oftentimes much better than public schoolers, why not keep it a tradition? Let’s show those judges in California that they would be making a huge mistake to pass this law. If it is passed, then it is opening a door for other controversial ideas to be accepted or denied. Let us preserve our free American spirit. Let freedom ring!