I have been told it is an old African proverb. I know it has been part of the Democratic Party philosophy for a number of years. I know that because it has been said by the Democrats that there has been a steady beat of sneers, mocking and laughter at it by many of the radio people who has traditionally been speaking for the Republican philosophy of self-reliance and independence. The proverb is “It takes a village to raise a child.” Of course, the idea is simple. Many of us grew up in small towns where we knew what this meant. In the small town of my childhood if I did something wrong at school, my parents knew about it before I got home. If I had been involved in something inappropriate on my paper route, the word was back to my home before I finished my route. Our neighbors were helping my parents keep me in line.
It was something of that same thinking that convinced my wife and I to allow my son to buy a hearse for his car. We knew that if he and his friends were doing something wrong and they jumped in the hearse to get away, the people around would be able to say, “We don’t know who he was but he was driving a hearse” and there would not be too many young boys who fit that description. The community would be able to help us know what our son was doing and whether or not it was good.
The village of Henderson has recently seen signs that the village has not been doing a good job of taking care of its children. The facts and statistics have been widely circulated. The students at the various schools have told us that we are not keeping them safe and providing a healthy place for them to study in school or to live in the community. The notion of self-reliance and independence has not provided much in the way of guidance and support. The village is going to have to take a hard look at itself and see how it can improve in its care for the young because that will produce a better place for us all. If the young have a future, then there will be less threats to the old.
The two major concerns that have been expressed are better and safer schools and better and safer communities. Better schools and better law enforcement. One way to get better schools and better law enforcement is to provide more resources to each so that class sizes can be reduced, more teachers and aides can help more students, more activities can be offered to the students. More resources to the Police and Sheriff would mean more officers on duty and more protection and crime prevention. But we all know that more resources is not going to happen. State budgets were dramatically cut last year because the Republicans would not continue a half-cent sales tax and there is no indication that there will be more resources to the schools from the State in coming budgets. Vance County and Henderson are not likely to raise taxes so that more officers and resources might be available to the law enforcement.
It really does mean that the village will have to raise the children. It means that we will have to all step up and start taking an active part in caring for and helping our children in order to help ourselves. We may need to volunteer as tutor or aid in the schools. We may need to help with Boys and Girls club, volunteer in a scouting program, help with recreational programs as volunteer coaches, to help plan activities in religious community, make more time available to help in the Library. The nurturing and guidance of the community’s children will have to be our job because we do not have the money to pay for somebody else to do it.
We will need to become aids to the law enforcement community as well. The Sheriff and Chief of Police are alway asking us to be part of community watches, to call them with information, to be on the alert for suspicious activities, to be aware of our surroundings. This is our community. While we would like to employ more officers and more crime prevention agents, it does not appear likely that will happen. We will have to take on that work as well.
The Republican radio “mouths” have had a good time mocking and sneering at the notion that it takes a village to raise a child, but we have evidence of what happens when the village has not been as active and as involved as it needs to be. It will take the whole village of Vance County to make a difference.
Mr. Brand, I find it difficult to read your comment. Your actions and you message are mixed. Please explain to me how your recent vote favoring more government subsidized housing helps this village? If your logic is sound then I will read the entirety of your comment.
OILF; Allow me to explain, although I don’t speak for Mr. Brand. He is quite literate and he can interject if he feels I am wrong. Strong community ties strengthen a our City. An analogy would be the seams on a baseball, which if are loose, will cause the ball to unravel upon being hit. By supporting governmental subsidies for housing, Mr Brand is causing the concerns that we have for each other, you know, the Christian charity thing, to be loudy spoken.
Rick, you are mouthing the same old, tired, liberal dogma that Hilliary has spouted for years. Get over it and admit it. “Republican radio mouths” as you call them, are not the only ones who are sick and tired of hearing that we are responsible for other peoples’ children. I have no responsibilty for the “slackers” that I see walking around town. You invite them for dinner.
There is a lot of bad rental housing in Henderson. There was an effort to require basic standards to rental housing but it was defeated. The apartments that I supported were extremely well done. The developers had done the project at the end of Young Avenue and they are most attractive and well done. Good affordable housing would drive out the poor substandard housing. The affordable housing at the Senior Center, the affordable housing at the Old West End, and a number of other projects are doing very well. So better housing is a positive for this community. Plus there was an additional investment in the community of four million dollars and the taxes on those units would have strengthened our whole community. The developers themselves expected renters to come to their units from other rental units in the community. Henderson does not need more substandard housing and this would have been a very positive, well-managed, apartment complex.
It appears that some on this discussion would rather be responsible for the “slackers” by paying for them to be in prison at $75,000 a year (last figure I saw. May not be accurate for all prison care) than to be involved with them when they are young and their care would be much cheaper.
Mr. Brand, What role do you think liberal Democratic social policies that destroy families and create a dependancy on government for every issue in life has played? You don’t care about poor people, you only care about being nasty to republicans; you don’t care about solving the issues, you love feeling superior to all the poor, dependant people in our society. You don’t believe they can succeed in society, you set low standards and tell them they are victims and will never get any where so why try. You believe you are smarter and better than they are and self reliance and independance are something they should never strive for because they simply aren’t capable. Why people get on board with a political party that tells them they need extra help getting a job or getting into a school because of their skin color, they don’t understand the degradation being imposed on them by well meaning liberals that despise the one thing that can elevate every person in our society, something that Mr. Brand has written past essays on his hatred of – the FREE MARKET. He prefers a socialist or communist society where the individual has no power, all the power is in the benevolent State. Where folks once turned to the churches in their communities for help getting thru a rough patch, now the govt has stolen that power. Look at how that socialist system is destroying our American society. A return to the traditional values of self reliance and making good decisions in life and morality will improve society. Mr. Brand, you accuse people asserting their 1st amendment rights of free speach on the radio as being mocking and sneering but you need to take close look in the mirror and reread your own negative posts.
Agree with Mr. Brand or not, personal actions (not just words) have a mighty impact on our youth. I grew up back when the ‘village’ acted as one when it came to misbehaving children. Over the years it seems that adults have become so fearful of children that they no longer speak up. Fear runs rampant. Sadly, we let that happen. When I’ve mentioned the times I’ve spoken up to children (and some adults) in my community I’ve mostly been criticized and called names. For whatever reason, people fail to see that silence is the same as approval. It is not the ‘governments’ fault we’ve become sheep.We all play a role. This is not a party politics thing, it is a moral thing. When we allow our children to go uncorrected we are condemning them to ignorance of life’s survival skills. One may say “they aren’t MY kids” and justify their silence when they see inappropriate behavior in the youth in their community. We actually blame children for the circumstances of their birth and rearing. Bible based Christians need to remember the original dictate (by God) that we ARE our brother’s keeper. Even if one has no religion at all, logic says that our inaction hurts us. If we aren’t willing to step up to save all our children, we are basically dooming our communities. Many times I’ve had family and friends warn me that one day I’ll get shot for being outspoken. I say, if I go down standing my ground it is better than hiding from that which is threatening.
The Free Market that I have no problem with is this:
94 million dollars of state incentives to bring 125 million dollars to North Carolina
Wall Street bail out so that the market might reach an all time high
The support of the Auto Industry that it might return to profitability
Forbes magazine reports a record number of billionaires whose fortunes grew at 17% which far exceeds the rate of growth for most of us.
The Affordable Health Care act that requires all people to buy insurance which the insurance companies love.
Federal Aviation Administration requiring the Boeing to ground its planes until a battery problem can be fixed
Federal Tax credits to support the beginning of renewal energy companies. Some of which are bound to fail.
Federal loans to banks to power up the return of the Housing market
Free Market — I might like it if I ever saw it.
Dagney, you wrote “A return to the traditional values of self reliance and making good decisions in life and morality will improve society.” I agree 100%. My question is, who will teach this to the children if the parents don’t? We can’t count on our overwhelmed teachers to do it. There is no easy solution to our social problems but if we each speak up for what is right, that would help.
Having trouble understanding Mr. Brand’s response above. He seems to like some government intrusion into industry but dislike others. All of the policies sited are contrary to a free market. The government can try to manipulate and control the free market but then that market is corrupted and not at all free and a failure. When the government took my tax payer money and gave it to a bunch of auto manufacturers, they were choosing one industry over another. My industry got flattened by cash for clunkers. Many want to say the capitalist system has been a failure, which is absolute revisionist history. Our unique American system created with our Constitution was responsable for more liberty and prosperity for more people than at any other time in history or place on earth. In the last 100 hundred years, creation of huge federal beaurocracies like the EPA and Commerce Dept exist only to thwart commerce. Businesses do not take money from tax payers and give it to other businesses, only our government can redistribute that way. Wake up, America. The government is not the answer to our personal and financial problems, govt is the problem. Google and listen to the incredible speech by Dr Ben Carson that he made at the National Prayer Breakfast, especially Mr. Brand. That man has the answers that could save our country!
Dr. Ben Carson is an awesome person. The look on the President’s face during Dr. Carson’s address at the Prayer Breakfast was priceless. When asked if he submitted his remarks beforehand–which is preferred by the Pres. –he did not–saying he speaks extemporaneously as guided by God.
I would PAY to see a conversation between Mr. Brand and Dr. Carson
Dagny, you are absolutely right. I would add two more worthless federal departments to your list…the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Department of Labor once served a worthwhile purpose, but it is now inundated with Obama’s pro union cronies and merely bend over backwards to cater to unions and hamper business.
Isn’t the ‘government’ made up of the people we elect? The government isn’t from another planet; it is created and defined by earthlings. All of us have allowed the elected to advance their agendas and become financially set for life…on our dimes. We only have ourselves to hold responsible. I am convinced that if you believed in what you write you wouldn’t hesitate to use your real names. If we are to be free we cannot wear masks. The only reason I can think of for using a moniker is out of fear of repercussions. Is that freedom?
There are many valid reasons for using a pen name, and a certain freedom as well. Some posters may enjoy the noteriority of using their “real” name.
Virtually every Federal Agency is unconstitutional, redundant, obsolete, inefficient, and consumes huge amounts of our tax dollars to control and manipulate the tax payers and should be dismantled.
State’s rights, term limits….beautiful words.
Even Ben Franklin used a pen name.
My apologies. I use my real name because it doesn’t matter one way or another who knows what I think. No one knows me, anyway.
It is a delight to watch the development of this discussion. My article calls for us as citizens to help ourselves and our children by our participation in the community.
The first shot back involved a vote of mine on the board of zoning.
The discussion quickly veered into a discussion of government welfare and dependence or free market.
The fact that my article acknowledged that it was very unlikely that there would be more taxes or government support from the state or local level. I am not calling for more government involvement.
Then it veers all the way over to real names versus pen names.
The community concerns and citizen attention to those issues is left behind.
There is still a need for the whole community to discuss how we are going to get what we want as a community since it is agreed that we are not there now.
What does this community want ? Better education? Better jobs? Better downtown? Better recreation facilities ? Better housing ? What should the priorities be ? Who should set them? How do we get buy in and active participation of all our citozens?
There have been two community meetings in the last two weeks talking about schools and crime. I think such discussions need to be on going. A young woman just told me she stopped taking her lunch time walk around downtown Henderson because she was afraid of being attacked. Those questions of elmwood are tremendously important and need a whole community to stop attacking each other and talk about them. When Flint Hill had a community meeting all l heard from another side of town was dismissal and complaints. They were talking about their part of the community. We need to talk about how to make our community better and to make it better without having to pay more as no one in this community nor do the governing bodies have more resources to pay for more. So we will all have to do more with “sweat” equity. But what we do has to emerge out of our common discussion.
Mr. Brand, Your posts aren’t as altruistic as you claim and are always devisive against Republicans and conservative values like the free market. Every post involves some kind of nasty smear against Republicans, no matter the topic. It takes a village, but no horrible Republicans in that village.
Didn’t a lot of the crime stop after the Sheriff advised the citizens to arm themselves? Keep running those stories about all the gals taking concealed carry classes and the inquires for those permits growing every day. When a thug targets someone, they are cowards looking for an easy mark. They do not want to pick someone who is armed and ready to defend themself but now they aren’t quite sure who is armed and who isn’t. Checkmate.
or it could be that the heroin is back in town and everyone is happy again; or it could be that the three thugs committing most of the crimes went back to Baltimore.