Before Christmas I received snail mail from a classmate living in the Philadelphia area. He sent an updated list of classmates who graduated from St. Henry’s Parochial School in 1943. He ends a list every year of the 65 students in our class. Eleven women and ten men have survived. One woman, my “crush” from the 5th to the 8th grade, died about 6 years ago.

All of the subjects were taught to all 65 by one nun in one room.

English was the only language ever used in class, even though there were kids from immigrant families (all legal). No thought was given to teaching any of the kids in their native language, because if they didn’t learn English, they wouldn’t be able to function well in society. In the area near the school, the predominant nationality was German. Our pastor would preach one Mass on Sundays in German.

Some of the Germans were loyal to their home country, and formed a “Bund”. In 1941 when war broke out, some Bund members engaged in subversive activities, and went to prison. I can’t help but wonder if we had war with Mexico if illegal immigrants would be loyal to the United States.

We were taught accurate American History. We learned to appreciate the men who started this country and wrote the Constitution. We were taught that they were well educated men of high character, and to gain freedom for the people, they were willing to pledge their lives, their wealth, and their sacred honor! I think too few of our leaders today would do that.

We were drilled in English, parsing sentences and conjugating verbs.

Math was a little simpler than today, but we learned how to add, subtract, multiply and divide by hand. We were even taught how to calculate square roots by hand. The computer wasn’t available to us; it hadn’t been invented. One of the nuns taught a really easy way to solve ratios, you know, concerning distances, weights, and measures.

To our advantage, we were taught about God, something that can’t be done in public school today. We were taught why we’re here on the earth. You aren’t taught that in school.

In first grade the question was posed, “Why did God make you”. The answer, “God made us to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him in this life, and be happy with Him forever in the life to come.” I’ve never understood why educators today don’t want you to know that most vital information. It was true in 1943; it’s true in 2009.

Some say they can’t teach good Morals because they don’t want a national church; there never has been a national church. We learned the difference between good and evil. I wonder why that scares many educators.

Educators today are teaching you Political Correctness. Political Correctness has become a religion, but that doesn’t seem to bother the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).

Under Political Correctness, you’re being taught things that Americans back then wouldn’t tolerate. Just three:

- That it’s legal, a woman’s right, to give her baby to an abortionist, so that it can be killed. (It’s not a new idea; if you want to look in the Old Testament of the Bible [you better not do it in school] you’ll find that pagans did the same thing.)

- That homosexuals have a “right” to marry. We were taught that homosexuality is a perverted life style, a sin, like adultery.

- That we are destroying the planet. We were taught that mankind doesn’t have the power or ability to make things hotter or colder. Nature, set up by God, is the only determining factor in climate change.

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There’s something you can do about the pitiful state of public education:

-Ask your parents to enroll you in a private school (but maybe not Muslim).

If they can’t afford that, ask them to demand vouchers.

-Attend a school board meeting with your parents, and demand changes that would be good for you.

-Better yet, ask your parents to run for the school board.

Have a healthy Happy New Year. (That’s an order.)

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH (Neh 8:10)
You can reach Mr. Murphy at willmurf1@yahoo.com
www.murphy-properties.com