"to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his
orphan"
There has never been a more succinct statement about the obligation and
privilege the nation has to care for its military veterans than that brief
clause in Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. But the New Jersey
legislature thinks setting aside a day on which to remember those who have
bought our freedom with their blood is not as important as it used to be.
New Jersey legislators have unanimously passed a measure that includes a
provision to remove the state mandate to teach about Veterans Day in the
public schools. And not only Veterans Day; the bill would also remove
requirements to teach about Columbus on Columbus Day, the Pilgrims around
Thanksgiving Day, and even Commodore John Barry Day, which commemorates the
Revolutionary War hero for whom a bridge is named, which spans the Delaware
River to connect Bridgeport, N.J., to Chester, Pa.
It is the possible repeal of the law to teach about veterans on Veterans Day
that has upset a lot of people, including, understandably, veterans. There
are few enough who serve in today's all-volunteer military and a decreasing
number of citizens who have relatives in the military, or know anyone in
service. That makes it much more important for students to learn of the
contributions made by veterans to secure the freedoms too many of us take
for granted. Those freedoms mark the difference between American schools and
those in dictatorial societies that are forced to teach state propaganda.
The ban on teaching about such holidays is included in a larger bill that
passed the legislature last month. It is designed to help control New
Jersey's spiraling property taxes. Gov. Jon Corzine has not indicated
whether he'll sign it. He'd better not if he knows what's good for his
Democratic Party. Have Democrats forgotten the 1988 campaign during which
Republicans hammered presidential candidate Michael Dukakis for vetoing a
bill while he was governor of Massachusetts that would have required all
public school students in the state to recite the Pledge of Allegiance?
Sure, it was wrong to question Dukakis' patriotism, but it worked
politically for Republicans, who pounded him with the issue, along with the
line about his being a "card-carrying member of the ACLU."
Since 1967, New Jersey schools have been told to observe Veterans Day and
related holidays to promote "the development of a higher spirit of
patriotism." Under the "law" of political correctness, apparently anything
that promotes love of country, or God, or the military is now to be avoided.
Thank Jupiter (it used to be "thank God," but He's been out for some time),
public schools can still distribute condoms. Maybe a way around the law
would be for veterans to teach sex education.
Hank Adams, a New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars adjutant and a veteran of
the Army and Coast Guard, said of the proposed law, "It's not right.
(Students) are not going to know the sacrifices that were made so they can
enjoy the protections that they have." Other veterans groups are petitioning
Gov. Corzine not to sign the bill. But after campaigning on a pledge not to
raise taxes and then reversing himself shortly after taking office, Corzine
has already proved how out of touch he can be with average voters.
While New Jersey residents are steamed about their high taxes, they may get
even angrier about the message this proposed law sends to veterans and how
little governing officials appreciate their sacrifices.
John Adler, New Jersey state senator, who is a co-sponsor of the
anti-Veterans Day measure, said, "I don't think the state should be in the
business of telling districts to do every single thing." Oh really? As most
parents of public school students everywhere know, the state has been
imposing its will on schools, students and parents for quite a few years.
That New Jersey is close to not doing so when it comes to patriotism and
veterans communicates one message to those who have put their lives and
limbs on the line for the rest of us: "drop dead." |