vision2020
Re: Some Thoughts
Mr. Hansen writes:
There is a segment of people within Vision2020 that apparently believe that
unless they personally are receiving some consideration for their time,
money, and efforts for a cause then that cause should be terminated, that
unless they get something in return, it is not worth their efforts.
Perhaps you got the impression that my initial question was somehow a
desperate attempt to get an "atta-boy" from you or other vision 2020 folks
for coughing up tuition dollars. I have to come clean and admit that I have
only written one check for a month's worth of tuition, as my oldest has just
started preschool. My purpose in writing wasn't to get a big "thank you,"
but rather because I was curious about what motivated your thanks to "Joe"
for his volunteer work. Are you really grateful when people give themselves
to give the children of our community a better education? Or are you only
willing to recognize sacrifice for your own sectarian cause? So often in
this debate the government school proponents accuse private education
supporters of not being willing to sacrifice, an accusation that only works
if one can utterly blind himself to the overwhelming sacrifice that it takes
to create and fund a superior school all the while being forced to pay for
the inferior (but twice as expensive) government school. The response to the
private school is always that "only the rich can afford that sort of
tuition." But that just displays a lack of any concept of real sacrifice.
Check the demographics at Logos and you'll find that parents there aren't
any wealthier than the rest of Moscow, they are just willing to really
sacrifice for their children's education. So my initial post was looking to
see if your gratitude was willing to recognize this sort of sacrifice or if
your thanks to "Joe" was actually just more blind party spirit. Your
response answered the question fairly clearly.
Ben Merkle
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen@moscow.com>
To: "Vision2020" <vision2020@moscow.com>
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 7:32 PM
Subject: Some Thoughts
> Greetings Visionaires -
>
> Just some passing thoughts.
>
> I have been raised to believe that a family, a community, a group of
people
> (no matter what label you put on them) take care of each other. My father
> (who is a Shriner) lived by that concept. He is an 85-year old Iowa farm
> boy, WWII combat veteran, that instilled in his family that everybody has
> worth. I grew up in Los Angeles and spent more Christmases than I can
count
> decorating trees, donating time, money and effort to families less
fortunate
> than mine. I don't mind contributing my money, time and effort toward a
> greater good. My father and my grandfather have preached to me that
> Christian people do these things without expecting consideration in
return.
> It is simply the way life should be. One hand washes the other.
>
>
> There is a segment of people within Vision2020 that apparently believe
that
> unless they personally are receiving some consideration for their time,
> money, and efforts for a cause then that cause should be terminated, that
> unless they get something in return, it is not worth their efforts. I
will
> listen to, and consider, their suggestions. I will listen to, and
consider,
> their opinions. They can candy-coat and camouflage their self-righteous
> indignation all they want, but a jackass with horse reigns is still a
> jackass.
>
> I am certain that this message will find its way to the trash bin quicker
> than it took for me to type it, but it was something I had to say.
>
> Take care of yourselves and each other, and until we can no longer see the
> good in each other, we will always be . . .
>
> Free to be you and me,
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> ***********************************
> Work like you don't need the money.
> Love like you've never been hurt.
> Dance like nobody's watching.
>
> - Author Unknown
> ***********************************
>
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