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Hernando Today

Driver's education classes, and socialism

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By JOHN NASH

Of Cabbages and Kings

Published: November 7, 2009

Socialism and communism have been slithering across these fruited plains, like some dark and evil plague. Their poisonous progress has accelerated wildly under the current administration.

It's rapidly approaching creation of a nation completely dependent upon, and controlled by, an inefficient, uncaring and incompetent central government.

Its destructive progress is aided and abetted by thoughtless and willing abdication of parental and familial responsibilities by most of us.

One of the more destructive elements of our socialism is seen in the state's increasing role in raising our children. While that practice is widespread and pervasive, let's look at just one small part, which only recently made news in the second section of a few newspapers.

I refer to the long-standing practice of having public schools teach our children how to operate a motor vehicle, rather than having that responsibility properly handled by parents.

Recent news reports bemoan school budget cuts, which have forced reductions in drivers' educational courses, which some amazingly believe to be "the most important class (a student) will ever take." I do not question the importance of teaching children how to safely operate a motor vehicle: I do challenge the mistaken belief that it is the state, and not the parents, which has the responsibility for such training.

When I became of age to have a driver's learning permit, and to thus begin operating a motor vehicle while under adult supervision, my home was in an affluent suburb, north of New York City. Although that county had, what was then reported to be, "among the best public education systems available anywhere in the nation," none of its schools had, or had even thought of having, a driver's educational course. Parents instinctively assumed that responsibility (which today, along with many others, have been happily turned over to public schools or other governmental agencies).

Traffic accidents, along with reckless driving citations, were then nearly unheard of in my home town. I have, by now, operated motor vehicles for more than 60 years, in 48 of our states, and in dozens of foreign lands, without an accident or citation for a moving violation.

Today, many of my grandchildren, along with those of my friends and acquaintances, have been cited with several speeding tickets in their first two years of driving and they all completed driver's education courses in public schools.

There are a few voices of reason in the wilderness of parental irresponsibility and flawed government education of our children. Yoli Buss (Director of Driver Improvement programs at AAA Auto Club South) recognizes that "…(driver's education) has to start at home … (but) some parents don't want the responsibility." Mr. Buss is right on: It's the parent's responsibility to teach their offspring how to safely operate a motor vehicle, if anyone is to do that job.

Now I recognize that bleeding heart, tree-huggers will cry out "Some parents can't do that, because they don't have the time, can't afford to hire a private teacher, or aren't literate enough to help their children understand traffic codes."

That's no excuse: If parents can't prepare their children to drive, then those children shouldn't be issued licenses to do that. It's past time for parents to be forced, if necessary, to begin to take control of, and responsibility for, teaching their children subjects such as personal hygiene, nutrition, basic finance, social behavior, sexual relations, and, yes, driving. If someone or other is unprepared to accept those responsibilities, then they probably should not bring children into our world. Our schools should return to focusing on what they were designed for: teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, science, and history.

I, for one, am not concerned the schools are cutting classes in such as driver's education. I even go so far as to hope that other nonapplicable subjects will now fall by the wayside. It's past time for parents to pick up the ball, and begin acting responsibly and in more ways than just this one.

Of Cabbages and Kings is a regular feature of this paper. The author welcomes rational and pertinent comment, which may be sent to him at john@have-eye.com.

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