(WJBC file photo)
By Nancy Cruse
I am such a bad mother! I mentioned Elvis to my 11 year old son Charles and he said, “Who is Elvis?” WHO IS ELVIS?!?! How have I lived with this child for 11 years and not impressed upon him the wonder that is Elvis?
Kids can’t know what we don’t teach them. They can’t understand the important impact that historical figures have made on our society unless we emphasize that to them.
I want to make sure that my children understand that there are men and women who have gone before us, who by using their God-given talents, changed the world. I also want to pay respect to those great people. Yes, we should have Martin Luther King Jr. Day to honor a man who showed us that you could radically change the world through the use of words and non-violent means. Yes, we should honor our two most important presidents with President’s Day. Yes, we should have Memorial Day to remember the men and women who have given their very lives to provide us with freedom. But do we really need to give our kids a day off from school to do it?
No, we do not. I would much prefer that my children stay in school and learn about why there is one day set aside each year for these people. I took my children to see the movie “Selma.” I wanted to make sure they knew what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did, how he did it and why it matters. I want every child to learn about civil rights, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and our fallen soldiers. I don’t want them sitting home all day, playing video games, watching marathons of Bob’s Burgers, thinking that the way people behave in those mediums is acceptable.
I have a dream. I have a dream that no American will ever forget that we live the lives we live today because other people sacrificed theirs. I have a dream that all children will stay in school on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day and Memorial Day to learn why they are important days. I have a dream that because of what they learn our children will know that injustice can be overcome, that non-violence works, and that it only takes one person to get the ball rolling.
Nancy Cruse has been part of the Bloomington/Normal community for the past almost 30 years. A widow, with five children, along with her late husband was a small business owner in downtown Bloomington. Now employed by State Farm, Nancy is active in the community, writing the Clare House newsletter and maintaining their Facebook page, hosting an annual Fourth of July Food Drive, a team leader and fundraiser for the Pat Nohl Lupus Walk, and a member of Toastmasters International, as well as volunteering in various capacities at Holy Trinity Church and schools. In her spare time, Nancy likes to run, bike, hike, read, sew, and be a vegetarian who occasionally indulges in a Schooners Tenderloin.
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