When Dave Reichert won his house seat two years ago, it was a bummer. I like to offset that sad, sad event by writing him letters. I was prompted to write this by MoveOn, who are going to deliver a bunch of online-submitted letters to his offices on Thursday. Of course, not one of those will actually get read by a staffer, so I decided to mail mine in the old fashioned way. I have some things to say about parenting, education, cost, sacrifice, and the true meaning of Family Values. Things I want to make sure at least one staffer reads. On the flip, a letter for him going into tomorrow's mail about these things.
Representative Reichert,
My wife and I have one young son and another child on the way. Our son is not old enough for school yet, but in a few short years he will be. I spend a good deal of time worrying about how we are going to see to our children's' education. A quality education is the birthright of every American citizen, and yet, that birthright has been squandered. The President's current budget is just the latest insult to be added to the heap of injury.
As things stand public schools cannot provide my children a quality education. The funding just isn't there. Our "education president," his father, and his father's predecessor have seen to that through decades of finding ways to drive knives into the heart and back of our public education system. Their favorite knife: under-funding.
But my wife and I love our son and his future sibling too much to let that be the end of the story. We can't afford to send them to private school, sectarian or otherwise. In all probability we will have to sacrifice one of our incomes in order to be able to home-school our children, to give them what the state can no longer provide. Years from now that choice, by forcing us to under-fund our own retirement, will demand a further difficult choice: mortgage our nest egg to help our children through college, or let them pay their own way. Unfortunately, by the year 2022 when my son is ready to enroll in higher education, tuition will be so costly that the only way for a middle class kids to afford it will be to join the armed forces so that the Pentagon will pick up the tab.
But as I said, my wife and I love our children too much for that. I will not let my son risk his life in the war on terror--a war that will still be raging in 2022 because, as we all know, it can never be won--just for the opportunity of bettering his mind. My wife and I will sacrifice our futures, again, for our children's benefit. A bitter pill, yes, but this is what parents do. This is family values. What a shame that it must be thus, when a responsible President and a responsible Congress would simply fund education properly to begin with. If you are the man of family values that you claim to be, you'll vote "Nay" on the President's budget until he finds the money to support our children's education.
Of course, I don't expect the guy to actually vote against the Preznit's budget. After all, he's got something like a 97% lackey-voting record. But I gotta try, right?
As always, if the spirit's moving you to write to your congresscritters, please consider yourself free to crib from my letter as much as you feel is helpful. And, as always, if and when I get a response to this letter, I'll post it for all to read. One of these days, the response will probably be some G-men at my doorstep, but hell, I'm not a member of the ACLU for nothing...