Today we (our entire school) clustered around a television set in the library to watch the inauguration of our 44th President. Needless to say, teachers worked to help students understand the historical significance of this occasion.
Most of the students were enthralled to see how it all worked and how historic it was. They took it seriously and, perhaps, a bit reverently. It was really nice to see.
However, there are always though who can't see beyond themselves and their personal feelings to see the historic value of a situation. Regardless of personal politics, I truly believe that this is a very noteworthy day in American history.
Presidents come and Presidents go. More than one has been discovered to have lacked the character that we, as a nation, would have wished them to have. However, each has been selected by the will of the American people and our system as a Representative Republic (no, not a democracy--ask a history teacher!) and deserves the full respect of that office.
But, then again, how can we expect the students to understand that when their parents don't seem to get it? When parents encourage their kids to mock a newly elected President who hasn't had the chance to make any mistakes yet.
Worse yet, it is often racially motivated and not rooted in any genuine reason. It makes me sad.
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