This weekend, the Wade House in Greenbush, Wisconsin, will host its 18th Annual Civil War Weekend. If you have an interest in American history, this event should prove to be very enjoyable. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.

I have not been to one of these events for 11 years but am planning to attend this one. (Photos are mine from 1997)

The event opens at 10am both days and closes at 5pm.

Not only are there a host of reenactment soldiers, vendors and craftsmen, they also hold actual reenactment battles--complete with cannon and horsemen.

From the Wade House website:

"In what has become the biggest and best Civil War re-enactment in Wisconsin, Confederate and Union armies set up camp on the sprawling, wooded grounds of Wade House. Visitors meet and mingle with the troops as well as civilian sutlers — civilian merchants who follow troop movements to sell Civil War-era merchandise.

Each day two battle scenarios will unfold. The historic battle scenarios feature cavalry, infantry and artillery duels between Union and Confederate troops, always a crowd pleaser at every Civil War Weekend. Download a schedule of events (PDFfrequently asked questions (PDF 59KB) about the annual event.

If you are going, don't forget to bring your own chairs! Much like the ladies and gentlemen watched the actual civil war battles from a safe distance for entertainment, attendees set up their chairs on the battle sidelines to watch.

If you have ear plugs, these would be good too. IT IS LOUD! Wear comfortable shoes--you will walk a lot.

Ticket prices are: Adults $12; children (5-17) $6; students and senior citizens (65 and older) $10; families $30.

For more information, Email: wadehouse@wisconsinhistory.org Phone: 920-526-3271

The Wade House is located on W7824 Center Street, Greenbush, WI

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

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I know what the Monroe Doctrine is. I could even tell you that Kennedy pledged to help any country struggling to be free--a take off on the Truman Doctrine: to "support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures."

But I confess I was not familiar with the term Bush Doctrine. At least not in the way Charlie Gibson presented it in his 1st interview with Governor Sarah Palin on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008.

Seems I am not alone in wondering, what in the world is that? Even Barbara Walters on The View said something akin to she did not know that all politicians would know what that term meant. No wonder.

According to Wikipedia on the Bush Doctrine, there are many aspects to it. "Foreign policy experts argue over the meaning of the term "Bush Doctrine," and some scholars have suggested that there is no one unified theory underlying Bush's foreign policy."

Charles Krauthammer exposed Charles Gibson's Gaffe in this Washington Post piece.

"He [Gibson] asked Governor Palin, 'Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?'

She responded, quite sensibly to a question that is ambiguous, 'In what respect, Charlie?'

There are many aspects to the Bush Doctrine. It isn't just one concept as Charlie tried to infer, and he seemed unwilling to define it. (I think Sarah was wise in asking him to define his term. It is always good to know what you are agreeing with.)

Sensing his "gotcha" moment, Gibson refused to tell her. After making her fish for the answer, Gibson grudgingly explained to the moose-hunting rube that the Bush doctrine "is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense," ["that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any other country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with that?"]

So when Charles Gibson defined it, he did so incorrectly. Sarah then restated that portion of the Bush Doctrine, so there would be little doubt as to her convictions. (The Bush Doctrine being the collection of foreign policy themes over the years.)

Palin: "Charlie, if there is legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country. In fact, the president has the obligation, the duty to defend."

Sarah made sure her position was well defined, that preemptive strikes were not to be based on a feeling or hunch as Gibson suggested but on legitimate intelligence. 

I found Charlie Gibson's attitude annoying throughout the interview. Guess I wasn't alone. Krauthammer sums up:

Presidential doctrines are inherently malleable and difficult to define. The only fixed "doctrines" in American history are the Monroe and the Truman doctrines which come out of single presidential statements during administrations where there were few other contradictory or conflicting foreign policy crosscurrents.

Such is not the case with the Bush doctrine.

Yes, Sarah Palin didn't know what it is. But neither does Charlie Gibson. And at least she didn't pretend to know -- while he looked down his nose and over his glasses with weary disdain, sighing and "sounding like an impatient teacher," as the Times noted. In doing so, he captured perfectly the establishment snobbery and intellectual condescension that has characterized the chattering classes' reaction to the mother of five who presumes to play on their stage.

The question on Pakistan was irritating to me as well as the one on Israel's right to protect itself against Iran. (Wasn't that the one Obama said he would not answer because he did not deal in hypothetical questions?)

I kept thinking to myself, I sure wish these same questions would be presented to all the Presidential and VP candidates...but then that would only be in a perfect world.

Found this: Gibson didn't pound John Edwards in 2004; Asked him only if GOP attacks made him mad

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

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Brookfield7, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, Mark Levin,  Vicki Mckenna

I venture to say that every American born before 1955 remembers where they were and what they were doing the day they heard President Kennedy was shot. (I was in Jr. High science class.)

Likewise, for Americans born before 1995 or so, that morning we heard about the attacks on the Twin Towers will be forever fixed in our psyches.

We were heading back from our Way out West Yellowstone vacation--hadn't had a TV or radio on in weeks. Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota was our last stop. But as we approached the monument's parking lot, we were met by a Park Ranger, blocking the entrance. He told us to move on. That is odd, we thought. At the second parking lot we asked the Ranger at the barricade why we couldn't park, since Mt. Rushmore is always open.

I will never forget his reply. We are closed because of the terrorist attacks in New York and don't know if there will be others on prominent American landmarks. (Mr. Rushmore was considered a possible target.)

What?

We could see he was not in the mood to chat, so we drove on and quickly turned on the radio. Unbelievable. We listened, but could not process what was transpiring on the east coast. It was very surreal--especially because we were far from home. 

After topping off our gas tank and visiting the ATM we talked about what we should do. Go home? Stay put? We opted for staying in South Dakota. Plus, if things really went crazy, we figured better to be in a hotel than stranded on the road.

Numb, we muddled through the day, visiting Custer State Park, with the car radio on.

Our son was 12 years old at the time. My husband and I yearned to tell him everything would be alright. But in all honesty, we couldn't. We just did not know what lay ahead. The only thing we could assure was that it was in God's hands: 2 Chronicles 32:8 came to mind.

"With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles."

We were all Christians, ready to meet our God. If He chose to protect us, great. If not, so be it. 

Our nation held its collective breath, waiting for something else to happen after those first 4 plane crashes. Thank God, it didn't.

After a few days, we started our trek home. Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, we saw "God Bless America" signs pop up everywhere--from gas stations, to fast food restaurants, to city hall marquis. People instinctively knew we needed divine intervention.

I really thought we could be in for a string of attacks. That life in America would come to resemble life in Israel, where attacks and explosions are commonplace.

But amazingly, we have been incident free. I attribute our safety to 2 things: God's grace and President Bush. Whatever you may think about the Bush administration, it is quite remarkable that we have not suffered another attack. It certainly isn't because the terrorists have forgotten about us.

"America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!"

I visited Fairly Conservative after writing this, H/T for article to THE Right Side of Wisconsin 

PS Just got in from putting our flag out. (Hadn't had it out for a long time...) Remember to fly it at half staff today, and don't forget to pray for our nation, leaders, and families that lost loved ones. 

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Brookfield7, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, Mark Levin,  Vicki Mckenna

It is becoming more difficult to ignore the threat of Iran and its long-range (see UPDATE at bottom) missile program. Yesterday they fired 9 missiles  and I heard 4* more overnight. I found the reaction of the candidates to this eyeopening.

Launch Brings Different Reactions: 

Tehran's testing of long-range missiles Wednesday drew  markedly different responses from U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, as Iran develops into a defining issue for the campaign.

Sen. Obama cited the test as further evidence of why the U.S. must engage in direct diplomacy with Tehran, while his Republican opponent called for more forceful responses, such as the development of a missile-defense system to protect U.S. allies.

"History shows us that when nations are embarked on paths that can jeopardize the security of the region...other actions besides diplomacy have to be contemplated and taken," Sen. McCain ... 

From US News, Iran Tests Missiles Able To Reach Israel:

McCain Warns Against "Second Holocaust" The CBS Evening News interviewed Sen. John McCain, "The Iranians are testing these missiles not because of action on the part of the Israelis, in my view. This is part of a calculated plan, developing nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them."

McCain told NBC Nightly News, "Hopefully, this event, it will serve as a catalyst that will finally gel all of the different factors that have been out there that will allow us then to act with our friends and allies in a most effective fashion and modify Iranian behavior, but we cannot allow a second Holocaust."

Obama Calls For "Direct Negotiations" ABC World News reported Sen. Barack Obama said in reaction to the missile tests, "The United States has to gather up others in the region, as well as internationally, to apply pressure on Iran. But it's very difficult for us to do so when we haven't shown a willingness to engage in the sort of direct negotiations with Iran that would give them carrots and sticks for a change in behavior." The CBS Evening News reported Obama "said what is needed is direct diplomacy and the threat of tougher sanctions to persuade Iran to drop its nuclear program."

Obama wants to talk. Talk to a nation that says the Holocaust never happened and that has set their sites on eliminating Israel.

Neville Chamberlain thought he could talk the madman Hitler out of his designs to rule all of Europe and the United States too. We know how that worked out for Neville.

*Was it 3 or 4? Seeing is not believing. Check out Michelle Malkin's Fauxtography-fest 2008! and see for yourself. (H/T Fairly Conservative)

UPDATE: Test exhibits no long-range rocket 'Same old Boring Shahab 3'. Not only were the pictures not what they seemed, but the Iranians' story too! Be sure to read all of the linked article. Here are some highlights:

Iran's missile test last week did not demonstrate any new capabilities, said a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence, and the test may not have included one of the longer-range missiles Iran claims was among those launched.

Iranian officials said the tests Wednesday and Thursday demonstrated a new variant of the Shahab missile that had a range of 1,250 miles. Such a missile would put Iran in striking distance of much of the Middle East, including Israel - as close as 650 miles from Iran - as well as Turkey, Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.

... Unless the Iranians built a larger missile with the same length-to-width ratio, dramatically improved the thrust of the rocket or decreased its internal structural mass, the missile could not achieve the range Iran claimed it did. Otherwise, it is the same knockoff of North Korea's Nodong-1, according to the blog.

..."Iran frequently exaggerates the capability of its missiles, and it appears it is continuing that tradition with [last] week's tests," said David Wright, co-director of the Union's Global Security Program.

..."We don't believe this exercise to have been an illusion," he [Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell] said Friday. Still, he added, "They were not testing new technologies or capabilities, but rather firing off old equipment in an attempt to intimidate their neighbors and escalate tension in the region. That is not the way to win the trust and confidence of the international community."

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1.3 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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Alexis de Tocqueville, a French nobleman and political scientist, came to America in 1831, seeking to find just what made America so great. This is what he said:

"I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors; in her fertile fields and boundless forests; in her rich mines and vast world commerce; in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and in her matchless Constitution."

But Alexis did not find the cause for America's greatness in any of those assets. It was not until he visited America's churches and heard the preaching of righteousness therein did he, "understand the secret of her genius and power".

He concluded: "America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

Alexis' summation of our country was Scripturally sound. Proverbs 14:34 says, "Doing what is right makes a nation great, but sin will bring disgrace to any people."

"America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!"

We have had an amazing 232 years and I am thankful to have been born in this great country.

So, Happy Birthday America: may you continue to be great and good!


Adapted from a July 2006 posting on brookfield7

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1.27 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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Do you have Memorial Day traditions? Actually, we don't. July 4th seems to have its usual rhythm: Brookfield parade or auto show at Holz in the morning and fireworks at Elm Grove Park in the evening. But somehow with Memorial Day nothing has clicked.

Maybe this year we will catch the 10:30 AM parade in Elm Grove since we live close by. There is also that wreath ceremony at a Civil War Soldier's grave at Oak Hill Cemetery.  I noticed at the Elm Grove Library a flier for a pre-parade pancake breakfast at the Elm Grove Women's Club. These are at least some Memorial Day options. What I don't like to see are holidays that become just an excuse for retailers to hold special sales.

While driving today, I caught a bit of Vicki McKenna's show. She suggested watching some good patriotic movies this Memorial Day weekend. Listeners called in with their favorites and she posted a list.  I thought that was a good idea--especially if the weather is chilly. Memorial Day, after all, is about remembering those soldiers who died to protect our rights, liberate others, and make our country free.

I stopped at the library to get a few good movies and found one not on her list. It is D-Day with Robert Taylor, Richard Todd and Edmond O'Brian. I have never seen it.

I was hoping to find The Lost Battalion, a HBO movie, based on a true story, with Rick Schroder. That one I did see before and thought it excellent. It is very bloody, but tells of the amazing courage of one man who just refused to give up. His perseverance to hold the territory in the Argonne Forest resulted in defeating the Germans. He portrayed a very godly man who was just set on doing the job given to him. I love to read or watch movies of ordinary people who do courageous things.

Another good movie on the list is the Tuskegee Airmen. This movie was very interesting because it told of the first squadron of Black Airmen during WWII and the prejudice they encountered. These men were real heroes and if memory serves correctly, earned the reputation of best support fliers for the bomber squads. Look for them the next time you are at the library.

Please share any of your favorite movies or traditions. 

I hope you enjoy your weekend and if you are a person of faith, take a moment to thank God for the brave men and women who gave their lives to make us and others free.

Don't forget the Music Concert to Benefit Chinese Quake Victims, Saturday, May 31st, 10AM - 1PM, Brookfield Civic Plaza

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Thursday, May 1st, is the National Day of Prayer , a day set aside to pray for our country.

When I look at the problems in our world, nation, state, community, and our schools, it becomes very clear to me that our intellect and financial resources alone cannot solve these problems. Our founding fathers realized this early in our country’s history too.

According to the National Day of Prayer website, “The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln's proclamation of a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer.”

In recent years, there has also been an open invitation for people of faith to meet on this day at their local city hall from 12:20 pm – 12:40 pm for 20 minutes of prayer.

Last year was the first time I made it to City Hall for this special time. This is what happened in 2007.

I arrived at city hall a few minutes late and was rather expecting to see a small group at the 3 flag poles on the plaza but didn't. There just was a maintenance worker eating lunch at a picnic table and 2 people seated on the ledge by the POW memorial plaque. 

 

Although I did not really expect anything inside City Hall due to today's mistaken separation of church /state stance, I checked there anyway. Nothing there. Back outside, I thought I would walk past the man and woman seated by the plaque. I realized as I got closer the man was Cater Doering--the veteran who petitioned city hall for the city to fly the POW flag.

 

Carter recognized me and as I approached, I saw the woman was holding up a Declaration of Independence. They were reading it together and commenting about how many references there were about our Creator, etc. I asked if I could join them. Soon after, 2 separate vehicles pulled up and parked. A woman got out of each and asked if they could join us.

 

We then stood in a circle, joined hands and prayed. Each of us prayed at least once for our nation, city, soldiers, POW/MIAs, our country's youth, the president, etc. There was also thanksgiving for the foiled terrorist plots and the protection our nation has been blessed with since 9/11. It was a great experience.

 

Here I did not know the 3 women at all, but it did not matter because we were there for a common purpose. We must have prayed there about 15 minutes or so, then the 2 women had to get back to work.

Today is one of those days that reminds me of how far we have come as a nation. April 4, 1968 of course was the day Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down. His I Have a Dream speech is still very powerful and reflects a very biblical view of what the brotherhood of mankind should be.

Some people are comparing Obama and King, but for me there is no comparison. Their approach and message is so very different.

Today, I much prefer the message of Martin Luther King Jr's niece, Dr Alveda King. She much more embodies the work of her uncle, in that she promotes judging someone on the content of their character, not the color of their skin.

In looking back to my school days, I remember my first trip to Florida in the early 60s. It was my first time in the south and I think I was in the 6th grade. When we stopped at a gas station in Georgia, I was puzzled over the 2 sets of restrooms. Mom, what does White Ladies Only mean? It seemed so odd. She explained why they had the 2 sets of bathrooms, but it still did not make much sense.

Fast forward in time to the summer of 1967. We were camping up in Rhinelander when the riots broke out in Milwaukee. I think there was a photo in the local paper up there of the National Guard and rioters in the street back home. That was rather eerie. Another picture I remember was of barricades across Lake Drive on the Shorewood (my suburb) and Milwaukee border.

My Jr. year was a bloody one. Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Kennedy shot down. One wondered if there ever would be a brotherhood of man.

But things have improved. For whatever you may think of the Bush administration, one cannot ignore the fact that his cabinet has judged people on the content of their character and not the color of their skin. President Bush Senior appointed Justice Clarence Thomas to the highest court in our land.

When my son and I were studying American History and Civil Rights, pictures of segregated drinking fountains and lunch counters seemed just as ridiculous to him as that separate bathroom did to me as a child. 

Today, more people are involved in integrated relationships, marriages, and adoptions than ever before. One has to wonder how in time anyone will even know if someone is "white" or "black" because there will be no such thing.  We will just be mankind. "There is really only one race--the human race. The Bible teaches us that God has 'made of one blood all the nations of men.' Acts 17:26", and isn't that what Martin Luther King Jr. preached? 

We still have a long way to go but sometimes it is difficult to see any progress unless you look back and see how far we have come. The Dream Didn't Die with Martin Luther King

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Poor Saint Patrick. Almost everything we associate with the holiday today has little to do with the real Saint Patrick.

Saint Patrick's Day decorations and themes often consist of  leprechauns, 4-leaf clovers for luck, pots of gold, green snakes, and of course, green beer. Did I mention green beer?

None of these things have anything to do with Saint Patrick, who was a real man born in the 4th century.

Patrick was born in the area of Britain we now call Wales, somewhere around 372-397 AD.  Although he was raised in a Christian home, he himself was not yet a Christian. Kidnapped by Irish raiders as a teen, he was taken to Ireland as a slave for 6 years.*

"Patrick worked as a herdsman, remaining a captive for six years. He writes that his faith grew in captivity [through teachings and scripture he memorized as a child], and that he prayed daily.  After six years he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home, and then that his ship was ready. Fleeing his master, he traveled to a port, two hundred miles away he says, where he found a ship and, after various adventures, returned home to his family, now in his early twenties.^[11] "

Feeling the call to return to Ireland to convert the Druids, Patrick studied the Bible. It is said however that he was not formally educated*--at least not in the traditional way of priests. He did not let this stop him from returning to Ireland.

"Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time." 

"They baptized many thousands, probably tens of thousands. Patrick's mission planted about 700 churches. Within his lifetime, 30 to 40 (or more) of Ireland's 150 tribes became substantially Christian." (The Celtic Way of Evangelism, page 23)

He preached salvation through faith in Christ and "fought against the start of Pelagianism, the denial of original sin and affirmation of man's ability to be righteous by the exercise of free will."*

"He died in Ireland in approximately 461 AD."* on March 17th. 

See, not a green beer in the whole story!

As for the other symbols:

...He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

The shamrock representing the trinity always made sense to me. Not too surprising, even that got hijacked into a 4-leaf clover symbolizing LUCK. (Luck is not a Christian symbol in that it bypasses God's providence.) 

It is rather sad that a day honoring a great Christian missionary like Saint Patrick, who preached the Gospel of Christ so faithfully, has evolved into a day of drunkenness. But now at least you know a little more about the real St. Patrick. 

Links: Brookfield7, Betterbrookfield,  Vicki Mckenna 

Today is President's Day. Tomorrow is the Presidential spring primary. It's been an unusual campaign, to say the least.

When you consider the three major candidates in the running for president, think about how far we have come as a nation.  Back in 1789 when George Washington was inaugurated, African Americans and women did not have the right to vote much less run for public office. Not all white males had voting rights either; property ownership was required.

Think about how the major candidates don't fit the typical presidential candidate mold, yet each is winning primaries.

Very Liberal African American male: OK

Liberal middle-aged white woman: OK

Middle-of-the-road older white man: OK 

But what happened to the Conservative, young, white man who spoke Reaganese? He was REJECTED. Why? Because of his religion.

Many conservatives and Evangelicals like me were at first cautious about Romney, but as time went on, I realized Mitt stood for what I stood for: Freedom of religion. His Faith in America speech was outstanding in my estimation. It beautifully summed up the sentiments and intent of our Founding Fathers regarding the role of Faith in our nation.

Recall the early days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, during the fall of 1774. With Boston occupied by British troops, there were rumors of imminent hostilities and fears of an impending war. In this time of peril, someone suggested that they pray. But there were objections. They were too divided in religious sentiments, what with Episcopalians and Quakers, Anabaptists and Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot. And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God, they founded this great nation.

In that spirit, let us give thanks to the divine author of liberty. And together, let us pray that this land may always be blessed with freedom's holy light.

God bless this great land, the United States of America.

Reagan conservatives were heartbroken when Romney delivered his concession speech. I found it rather curious, that this election seemingly indicates we have overcome racial, gender, and age bias. But when it came to religious discrimination, that was one hurdle we still could not jump as a nation.  

I do remember the controversy over Kennedy's Catholicism and where his allegiances would lie. Yet he managed to overcome those fears. When John Kerry ran in 2004, his Catholicism (allegiance) was not an issue. Perhaps in the future religious prejudice will no longer be an issue for Mitt Romney either?

Primary Election Picks: Sutton, Halmstad, and...Hillary?

Fountain Brook Crossing: Council votes on rezoning, Tuesday, Feb. 19 

Links: Betterbrookfield,  Vicki Mckenna 

 

 

Recently at a neighborhood party, a few of the moms were talking about school and the high cost of private school tuition. Two of them had their children enrolled in parochial elementary and high schools.

I believe it is the right of every parent to choose the type of school their child attends.Sending children to private school or homeschooling them is a financial sacrifice many parents are willing to make, but as our property taxes increase it is a choice that is becoming increasingly difficult. (The major portion of your bill is the school tax).

That discussion reminded me of something I read in January's 2007 Elmbrook Link regarding the budget.

There has never been a greater need than now to recruit all possible resident-student enrollments into our schools, according to assistant superintendent for finance and operations, Bob Borch. The amount of revenue that the State of Wisconsin allows school districts to receive each year is based on enrollment figures under what are called, "state revenue caps." Either the School District of Elmbrook increases its resident enrollment as one way to produce more revenue or it must continue to make dramatic spending cuts to keep the annual budget in balance.  (Emphasis added)

When that publication came out, some people made the comment that because property taxes (school taxes) were getting so high, soon residents would have no choice but to send their kids to public school--they couldn't could afford tuition on top of the property taxes. Elmbrook was taxing us out of our ability to choose! This holds true for homeschoolers too. (Most homeschool moms cannot work outside the home and teach their children at the same time, so they are single income families.) 

The absurdity of Elmbrook's rational in their wish to recruit every possible student is unbelievable. In very rounded numbers, the total cost per student is $13,000/year. The district receives about $3,000/student from the coveted state reimbursement mentioned in the Link. The remaining $10,000 per student comes from us, the ELMBROOK School District taxpayers!

But cost aside, is this what Public Schools were designed to be? Something that parents had to enlist their children in with out a choice? A drift net that would snag and snare every living creature in its path? Or was the concept of the public school set up to be a safety net, designed to catch those who fell through the cracks, to keep them from injury.

If we look at the history of public education in the United States, we see that the Puritans were the first to implement free public education in the colonies. They wanted their children to be literate so they could read the Bible. It is ironic that the very reason for free public education is evolving into a mandate to attend a school where God cannot be mentioned nor a Bible read.

The first free public school in the United States was not available until the mid 1800s. (Section, The Beginning of the Public Education System)

The common-school reformers argued for the case on the belief that common schooling could create good citizens, unite society and prevent crime and poverty.

These reformers thought education should not just be for the wealthy, who could afford tuition to a private school or a tutor, but be available to all American children. It was not until 1918 that there even was a Federal law on the books requiring compulsory elementary school attendance in all states. These laws came about to ensure that all children, regardless of financial ability to pay, could reap the benefits of a basic education.   

Many families today are already being priced out of their ability to choose the type of education their child receives by the very system of public education (and resulting high property taxes) that was created to ensure all children be educated.  If this pattern of ever increasing school property taxes continues, then ironically, the only families that will still be able to choose will again be those who are very wealthy, or in select districts, the poor who qualify for school choice vouchers.

Elmbrook must come to terms that they must find other ways to work within their budget than just continually trying to increase their student enrollments. Recruiting all the resident students who currently attend private schools, non-resident students, and now the possible 4K students, just to receive the paltry (in comparison to the total cost) state aid monies to boost their budget is not the answer.

Enrollments will continue to drop. That is just the reality of the aging baby boom. Adding 4K may ease Elmbrook's budget woes for now (not the Embrook taxpayers' burden), but how will that help when enrollments drop further?

Elmbrook will suggest adding all day 4K, to double the state aid money. Then they will suggest adding 3K. The real answer lies in cutting the fat out of the budget and improving efficiency, and only asking the public to fund our own students.

Elmbrook needs to be reminded that they only receive about 25% of actual cost for each Elmbrook student from the state (that includes Elmbrook taxes too) and that it is the Elmbrook taxpayer that must make up the remaining 75%.

Elmbrook's drift net mentality costs the taxpayer about $10,000 per student. At that price, how does snagging a larger catch help us? 

Thanksgiving, like many other holidays and historical events these days, is losing its original significance. Christmas has de-evolved into a holiday gift getting frenzy--totally ignoring the birth of Christ, the original reason for the holiday. Easter no longer celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ but instead is a time of Easter egg hunts, bunnies and ham dinners.

Thanksgiving lately is either skipped over entirely as the world of retail moves immediately from Halloween to Christmas Holiday decorations and catalog ads. If the November holiday is mentioned, it is now a time set aside for "Turkey Day" and thanking those around us. My son was given a children's music tape by Steve Chapin that had a whole song about Thanksgiving being a time to have a family dinner and thanking the earth for food! This is not what Thanksgiving was ever intended to be.

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebration set aside to thank the Almighty for His providential care for us. Not to thank the earth. Not to thank your wife or neighbor or baby sitter. I don't have a problem with thanking people; I think we should thank those who work hard or are helpful. It is just that thanking those around us was not the original intent of the holiday.

Lest you think I am indulging in a little revisionist history of my own, read this post from Thanksgiving 2006 to see what our first president had to say about this holiday. 

“The father of our country understood that every action he took while president would establish a precedent for future officeholders, and he kept that in mind throughout his eight years in the White House. He wanted to make certain that future presidents acted with humility and respected the separation of powers among the three branches of government.”

That quote came directly from, The Everything American Government Book. Keep that quote in mind, that George Washington understood that every action he took established precedent, as you read his Thanksgiving proclamation of 1789.

Other presidents have made Thanksgiving proclamations since Washington. Tom Gehl included excerpts from Lincoln’s proclamation in his excellent blog piece from last year, For The Giving of Thanks.