In response to Michael Goodwin’s video, “Freedom to Fail”, I honestly could not have agreed more with the message he was trying to present. In America, children are being told by parents and teachers to simply “do their best”. In my home growing up, “doing my best” was not a conceivable option. My father was extremely strict and always pushed me to go above and beyond with my school work. My argument was simple: “I’m doing just as well as everyone else in the class is doing.” I was always told by my father that being on the same level as everyone else wasn’t a high enough goal; I needed to strive to rise above the rest so that my chances of succeeding would be high and my chances of failure would be low to non-existent.
Children are being taught to do “just enough” to get by. Teachers are giving up on their students’ abilities and are not pushing them to the limit, to their true potential for success. Too many parents are stepping back and assuming that the schools will do all the necessary work to ensure that their children succeed and graduate. This HAS to stop! Parents need to be pro-active and quit letting their children become lost in a broken educational system that has simply given up on America’s children. Americans have become lazy, they do just enough to get by and many completely rely on the government to provide food; to provide shelter. Wake up AMERICA! It’s time for each and every individual to start taking responsibility for their own self and their children. Our government needs to quit giving handouts to EVERY person who claims to be disabled or unable to work. This country will not succeed, and WILL FAIL; if we continue to have the attitude that someone will always be there to take care of us.
I am about to become the second person in my entire family to earn a graduate degree; and I went through undergrad working full time and going to school full time. I am where I am today because I have a father who didn’t allow for failure and teachers who pushed me to my full potential. I have not and will not rely on my government to feed me, to clothe me, and to pay for my rent. I will never fail to succeed in this life, and neither should you. Each and every American is capable of rising up above their circumstances and making a difference in their own lives and the lives of others. Let’s quit sitting back and watching this country’s educational system crumble around us. EMPOWER your children and don’t let them settle for second best! This is a beautiful and FREE country that has been crippled by nonchalance and pity. Is that OK to you?
