• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

MLK DAY = Day of Dreams? (Updated)

MLK DAY = Day of Dreams? (Updated)

Our attention today is on MLK's "I have a dream" speech. The Gazette's front page feature article headline, "DREAM ON," attuned me to the idea that WE are DREAMING ON. Then I read about the new MISS AMERICA' (Kenosha, WI native) DREAM. What is YOUR dream on this MLK DAY?

Anticipating the meaningful events observing our national MLK HOLIDAY today, including the one at our WI State Capitol at NOON today. I posted on my WE THE PEOPLE blog yesterday a discussion about MLK on his REAL Birthday which included specific information about the MLK Holiday events. IF you want to read that discussion, use this link “TODAY is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s REAL Birthday!"

I was impressed by the FRONT PAGE headline and picture complementing Neil Johnson’s excellent article reporting on the MLK event last Saturday at Blackhawk Technical College, “Dream on.” (Sorry, I am not allowed to provide a link. The picture is VERY SPECIAL! I hope you figure out how to see it!)

That article attuned me to the need and opportunity for US to keep on dreaming! And then I read the Associated Press article about Miss America – Laura Kaeppeler, a native of Kenosha, WI – who was crowned Friday night in Las Vegas. Here is a wonderful DREAM to complement MLK’s dream!

Read Oskar Garcia’s AP report and then let’s consider Laura’s DREAM, “Miss America Confronted Family Pain With Pageant."

Isn’t that FANTASTIC?!?! LAURA and her family communicate openly about the pain of their family lives with the GOAL of helping others! COMMENDATION & THANKS to LAURA and her family!

Reading the NOON HEADLINES from Channel3000.com, I was very interested to see the report of an interview with Professor Gregory Berg from Carthage College, Kenosha about the new MISS AMERICA - Laura Kaeppeler which was posted at 11:33 am CST today, "Professor: New Miss America Is Humble, Genuine: Miss America Attended Carthage College in Kenosha."

My wife and I are aware of the significant needs of children and youth who have incarcerated parents from our work as K-12 public school teachers in Beloit and Janesville.

It is, I think, very significant that the Miss America pageant includes need for candidates to articulate support for campaigns for social benefits. The article notes that Laura’s competitors pushed platforms including promoting the health benefits of milk and protecting the environment. Laura, with full agreement of her family, said she wants children of incarcerated adults to feel less alone, to have mentoring and as much of a relationship with their parents as possible.

She is quoted asserting, "There are many of you out there — and I was one of them — but it doesn't have to define you," in the AP article. She continued to talk about children with a parent in jail, “Kaeppeler estimated that there are more than 2 million children with a parent in jail.

“Kaeppeler's father, Jeff Kaeppeler, told the AP he served 18 months in federal prison for mail fraud, a sentence his daughter said started as she was graduating high school and entering college.

“Jeff Kaeppeler said when his daughter approached the family about making the personal topic her chosen platform, they supported it even though they knew it would be discussed publicly.

"’It taught us that God can turn anything into good if you let him,’ he said. ‘Laura is totally on board with that idea. She let that drive her and inspire her this past year to get ready for this.”

"’We've seen a miracle,’ he said while waiting backstage for a news conference in which his daughter called him her "best friend" and briefly took pictures with him onstage.

I hope you will go ahead to read the rest of this meaningful article and identify a DREAM on this MLK DAY which YOU are going to campaign for. What is YOUR dream?

MY OWN DREAM will continue with a commitment to healthy democracy/civics education throughout our American public education system. I have a very serious concern as to the absence of democracy/civics education in our HIGH SCHOOLS.

We KNOW that youth who are seniors in high school on the threshold of VOTING at age 18 are MOST ATTUNED to learning about our political culture and system IF we provide the learning experience. My own experience convinces me that youth will NOT choose to take an American government and politics course as an ELECTIVE. I have long been an advocate for a REQUIRED AMERICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS COURSE to earn a high school diploma in WI. WHY NOT?

MOST high schools in WI do NOT require a democracy/civics education course! There are a few and I want to be sure that readers know that MILTON HIGH SCHOOL is one of those high schools while the high schools in JANESVILLE, WI do NOT have such a requirement to earn a diploma. Come on, Janesville!

The reality is that 99.44% of the high school graduates in WI are US citizens. Do we NOT need to fulfill our responsibility to provide them with democracy/civics education so they are able to function with knowledge, perspective and attitudes which support our republic = representative democracy?! I think so. Do YOU agree?

2012 is a major election year in our USA. I think democracy/civics education should be in the SPOTLIGHT this year! WHY NOT?

Here we go…

Mr. E.

John Eyster lives in the Edgerton area. He is an adjunct professor of political science at UW-Waukesha and an advocate for democracy/civics education in Wisconsin high schools. John is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. His opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.