Colorado math standards are insulting the student, because they are creating a new lesson plan to fit a student without common sense. The new teachings will show how what is being  taught in the math class  will relate  to life, which isn’t a bad thing, but truly, shouldn’t common sense realization be made in the real life not in a class room?

Schools are there to teach us tools that will benefit us. Yet is the school getting too involved? Perhaps the younger generation just might be getting lazier.

It may very well be time to re-integrate a few old rules and old teachings. It’s time to get the younger generation prepared for what is ahead in life, because teachers aren’t always gonna be there to walk them through everything and  tell them what they should do.

Then again if one should not teach common sense in schools where  will it be taught?  Should this  be left to the parents or maybe other head figures in children’s lives?

What we should be looking for isn’t a fountain of youth but a fountain of common sense. What we do know is that the  younger generation is becoming dependent on anything and everything.  Take a stand for a little common sense to get put back into life or just sit there and let whatever they watched on t.v. last night dictate how they live.

Some of you may remember the “good old days”, when people helped one another just because that’s how they were raised. That’s not the case, anymore. If you want any sort of assistance or help at all, you better have enough money or enough connections because if you don’t, there is no help. Some might ask, why is that? Well, that’s one hell of a good question. However, I believe that there are many reasons people aren’t as generous or helpful as they once were, the first one being morals.

Kids aren’t raised the way they should be; you say the word “spanking”, and a puzzled look comes across their face. All throughout their life they see others getting away with wrongdoing, and they decide to try it out. Once they get away with it, it slowly progresses throughout their elementary years, and once they get to high school it reaches it’s peak. They are doing drugs, getting drunk, getting pregnant (or getting someone pregnant), and they don’t face any consequences for their actions. Then, they get out of high school and move on to the real world, and realize that they have made a huge mistake, and that they have possibly screwed their entire life up. Then, when they go to get help from someone, no one cares if they need help or not because they’re screw-ups, and I couldn’t agree more.

Now, that being said, let’s move to the opposite end of the spectrum, where the problem still boils down to how they were raised. They grow up seeing their father, the surgeon, making tons of money, and coming down on them hard to do well in school. Some do, and some take the path that I mentioned before. The ones that do take their schooling seriously, seem to lose all of their sympathy for the poor, underprivileged and mistreated. They want to charge the hell out of the elderly and unfortunate, but in turn want to drive around Porsches and Ferraris. Now, as for the type of people we talked about before, who have messed their life up because of bad decision making, I can’t blame the doctors and medical employees charging a lot of money, or making them wait a little longer for healthcare. However, it seems that the doctors and healthcare professionals don’t make them wait because of who they actually are or what they’ve done, but because of their social status.

I believe that this is a prime example of bad parenting. People who are brought up thinking that they’re better than everyone else, tend to stay that way for the rest of their life. For the most part, that remains true with people who are brought up thinking that they’re worthless. However, there are those select few that are changed forever because they realize that they are not worthless. They stop caring what everyone else says or thinks about them, and just try as hard as they can to be a good person. Those are the ones who truly care about the well being of others, and that’s the sad part. The people who are brought up having piles of money, and have the potential to truly help people, don’t. They become pathetic excuses for human beings, who are self-centered and stuck-up. Whilst the people who have nothing tend to be the most genuine people you’ll ever meet. Now, you may be thinking “has he forgotten about all the celebrities who donate thousands of dollars every year to charity”, so let’s talk about those people.

Do you think that every celebrity who’s ever donated money did it because they cared about who they were helping, or do you think it was because they cared about how everyone else looked at them? I’m not saying that every person with money is anally challenged, because they’re not, but generally speaking, a lot of them are. There are some celebrities that center their careers around helping others, whether it starts that way or not. Those are the ones who really make a difference in peoples’ lives, because not only do they give their money, they give their time, and most of all, their love.

So, I’m done with my little rant, but I would appreciate it if people would raise their kids to be respectful, caring human beings, instead of pathetic (whether they be on the stuck-up end or no-good end) slobs. Raise good people who are going to better the world for all the rest of us.

Written by Derek Purvis

“Politics? I’m not into that kinda stuff.” I only wish I could tell you how many times I’ve heard this statement in just the past four years. And every time I felt an urge to beat some sense into the poor soul. What do you mean you are not into that kinda stuff?! You have the power to choose your government, your leaders, and your’re not into that so-called “stuff”?

“I cant vote, so I don’t care.” You couldn’t walk at first, but that didn’t stop you from crawling did it?

“I don’t care! It doesn’t matter anyway.” You’ll see how much it matters when your taxes are so high that you and your future kids have to start skipping Christmas just to pay the heating tax.

I believe one of the worst things a young person can do is make the decision to “not be into that kind of stuff,” to not care what happens to the world around you, and to not care who pulls the strings. Just as long as no one tells you what to do, you don’t care who is in the white house, you don’t care who is signing the next bill, because you’re just not “into” that political thing. Well let me flip a switch for ya: That “political thing” decides how much you pay for taxes. It decides what your taxes should and will be used on. It creates laws and many other “things” that decide how your life will be run. “The government doesn’t run my life!” Unless you don’t pay taxes, go to school, or obey the traffic laws, then you’re right, the government doesn’t run your life. But if you do pay taxes to the government, stop at a red light or stop sign, or attend a public school then, I’m sorry, but the government is involved with your life, and it should be, to a certain extent.

Here is how the government is playing a big role in your every day life:

1: Paying money to support our troops, build highways, fund research to find a way to keep goats from farting in the atmosphere, and stop contributing to global warning.

2: Obeying the laws of the country by halting at a sign or a blinking light that keep people safe. If you don’t abide by the law, you will be detained for a while. By the way, learn to stop at red lights, please; the time it takes to wait for a red light is lot less (with a few exceptions) than waiting for an officer who purposely takes his own sweet time writing out the ticket to teach you a lesson in reckless driving.

3: Public schools are required to teach what they teach by laws of the government. Some classes are optional, and some, such as those that teach evolution, should be as well. You are learning what the government wants you to learn, both state and federal. Two plus two will always be four, I hope.

All I am trying to say is that we as Americans have one of the greatest rights in the world, to choose our leaders. Decide if you agree or disagree with your president on topics like abortion, same sex marriage, illegal immigration, taxes, or health care. If not, find the politician that resembles your views the closest and vote for him or her. And if there isn’t anyone who stands for your views, then become a leader yourself. Not all politicians like to listen to the people who voted them in, but it is our duty to keep them in check. Many people don’t realize that we are in charge, we the people, you, me, us, no matter how ridiculous the demand is. We are the bosses, and if the majority of Americas want a 400,000 pound bowl filled with spaghetti in the middle of the street in New York city and the politicians don’t give it to them, even though they are taking our tax dollars and spending it on things even more ridiculous than that, then someone needs to by fired! We have to fight for our country every day. Not against the terrorists, Nazi Germany, or North Korea, but our very own politicians.

After signing the constitution, Benjamin Franklin was asked by an elderly woman on the street, “What have you given us Mr. Franklin? A monarchy or a democracy?” Benjamin Franklin answered, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” If we can keep it? That’s right, it is our job and duty to make sure that our same freedom is kept intact for the next generation, and the next one and the next one, so that our future sons and daughters can live in hope of happiness. So they can have the rare freedom as we do, to pursue happiness. I’ve stated before that we as Americans do not have the right to be happy, but to strive to become happy. And if we make it great! But if not then we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Don’t downgrade political issues; watch the news sometimes, keep up with what’s going on, because we are just a few short elections away from being led into socialism, communism, or a monarchy. This is nothing new, this is the way it has always been; but the day will come when the people of the greatest nation on earth will decide to let others do it for them and let our country fall into the darkest state imaginable. It will crush all hope for other countries around the world who wish for the same chance as we do: to go to school, drive a car, play sports in front of hundreds of thousands of people. We are the little light in the great pit of darkness, America, the very name sends chills down the spine of those wishing to be free; and anger down those hoping to crush the most blessed nation on earth.

So when it comes time to do the pledge of allegiance, stand up! Put your hand over your heart! Boys, takes your hats off! In love and respect for this little island of hope that all man are created equal! And are endowed by their creator with certain rights, and in them is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!

So let the 9/11s come! Let the planes come rolling in! Bring it on! You may be able to knock us down but we will never be knocked out! Every time you hit us, we hit back. Every time you think you’ve hurt us beyond the point of repair we come back stronger and more prepared than ever! Other countries ask “Why!? How is it that these suborn Americans keep on going!? There seems to be no defeating them! Where do they get the strength to still stand?” I’ll tell you where! Because when it comes down to who is fighting because you are being told and who is fighting for all the people back at home, praying that mommy or daddy makes it back in one piece, and when it comes to the climax of the battle, we find a way to reach deep down in the pit of our souls and pull out some thing than no other country can seem to get a grasp on, and that is courage, that is bravery! That is the willingness to without hesitation, jump into a battle that seems impossible and pull out the victory in the end.

People always say, let me fight for my country, but what is your country? Those solders aren’t out there fighting for millions of people they don’t know. At least that’s not the reason. They are fighting for their mother and father, brothers, sisters, friends, children, and their comrades. Because in the end, it comes down to the heart of the solder. We are all soldiers, and even if we are not in a distant land fighting off enemies with a firearm. We are here fighting off enemies with the most powerful weapon known to man, a voice. One small voice that chose to stand up to the threats, to the possibility of being charged with treason. And that one voice became two, and those two became four and then eight, sixteen, all the way to thirteen colonies, and smashed the most powerful empire at the time with nothing but the will to be free. It was the heart of an American that led to the greatest victory of all time.

Today you can still have a victory, in the polls, even if the one you wanted to win didn’t get it, just the fact that you are given the chance to vote is a victory in itself. Look outside, waving back and forth from the top of that pole, what is that? That is the symbol, the symbol of victory of good over evil. As long as that symbol remains we will still be the land of the free, and the home of the brave. But the same old question still remains, will you fight for it?

Dedicated to the men and woman who have given their lives to keep this country safe.