Does anyone teach Civics any more?

 

 

   The year was 1963. The date November 22 and the time shortly after 2:00 PM EST. Civics class had just begun when the announcement came over the loud speaker that President John F Kennedy had just be assassinated. It was one of those moments and events that may happen once in a lifetime, you hope only once... if it has to happen at all. You remember the day, the time and what you were doing. For my generation it was a terrible civics lesson.

   Unfortunately during my lifetime we have had too many such events;  September 11^th 2003,  the shooting at the elementary school in Newtown and other schools, mall shootings, Boston Marathon.  Events like this are unexplainable but can often shape the quality and character of a nation and its people. Is it all part of being a democracy, a free country?

   When I was in school back in the dark ages, we were required to take  classes  in 'Civics'.One  class was in the freshman year and another government class before graduation. Most of  us thought it was a waste of time. We would much rather be in physical education or lunch. But it was one of those required classes and if we did not pass, we did not graduate.

    Civics is the study of citizenship, its rights, duties, respect  and responsibilities. It is the study of the roles citizens have to each other  as members of a political body and to the its government. It is he study of laws and civil code. Most important, it is the study of government and the roles and responsibilities to its citizens.

   The study of civics dates back to Confucius and Plato and  over time, while civilizations changed and grew,  new elements were introduced into its study as public demands on its governments changed and societies became more complicated. 'Justice for all' and 'ethics in governing' soon became the foundation for most in the study of civics and are still a critical part of today's classes, if the courses are  still taught at all in schools today.

   But not everyone agrees the study of civics is as important today as it was in the past. There are those who believe that justice, values and democracy should be learned, not through a text book, but through life experiences and one only needs to look around to find  growing  support for this belief.

   The 'founding fathers' were very careful as they crafted this nation's  constitution. After the struggles with England , their concern was to ensure  three important freedoms:  choice, action and the right to live by the  results of those actions. To put it more simply, it is the belief in personal responsibility for your own actions and its outcomes. But that was then and ...this is now.

   Times have changed. Society has changed and as a result we have come to rely on government to solve many of societies problems and ills and we freely and willingly take when the help and assistance is offered but become critical, angry  and frustrated when we are asked to give something back in return.