Character-in-Action® Blog

What would Lincoln do?

Let’s continue thinking about that question, “What would Lincoln do?” The question was posed recently in regard to policies of the United States’ new administration. We suggested in a previous entry that such a question should not stop at legislation.

What would Lincoln do in regard to character - his own character?

That is the important question for the new President of the United States - and on its answer every other question hangs. What would Abraham Lincoln (and President Obama) do if he were a man of character? What would he do in everyday circumstances? What would he do in times of crisis? What would he do in time of war?

What would Lincoln do in time of war?

One answer to that question involves Abraham Lincoln, General Grant, and three tiny kittens.

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln had many difficult matters to handle. His position as U.S. President weighed on him heavily. The nation was being torn apart, and it was his duty, on the eve of battle, to pull it back together. The burden was heavy, and Lincoln showed it in his face.

Nonetheless, this great president did not forget the importance of character.

What would Lincoln do when, while visiting General Grant’s headquarters, he saw three tiny, motherless kittens crawling about the floor, mewing piteously?

“No question!” you might say. “He’d do what any great leader would do. He’d tell someone to get the cats out of there immediately. Stray cats had no place there! This was a general’s headquarters in the midst of a great Civil War! The kittens would be gone in a flash, and the men would get down to business.”

That might be a likely response in today’s society - a morally bankrupt society. Abraham Lincoln, however, had a moral savings account, and he withdrew from that when he saw the motherless kittens. He picked up the kittens tenderly, sat down on a camp chair, placed them on his knees, and began to stroke them. “Poor little creatures. Don’t cry. You’ll be taken care of,” he told them.

Then, turning to an officer, Lincoln did not say, “Get them out of here.” Instead, President Lincoln directed, “Colonel, I hope you will see that these poor little motherless waifs are given good milk and treated kindly.”

Lincoln got down to business then, but during his short visit, he left the main tent three times to check on the kittens. Each time, he lifted them and petted them. Each time, he took out his own handkerchief to wipe their little eyes as they lay on his knee purring.

Imagine, for a moment, one of today’s politicians. Imagine that politician visiting the battle field during a war. Imagine that the purpose is to conference with a leading general. As the politician walks into the tent where the general waits, he sees three tiny stray kittens. They are bedraggled. They are mewing piteously. Will he do exactly as Lincoln did? Will he exercise such strength of character?

Somehow, I can’t imagine that he would.

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

What would Lincoln do?

A recent news article carried a title with that question, “What would Lincoln do?” The question was posed in regard to policies of the United States’ new administration. Would Lincoln suggest one piece of legislation or the other piece? Such a question should not stop at legislation, however.

What would Lincoln do in regard to character?

What would Lincoln do in regard to the character of those he chose to work with him? What would Lincoln do in regard to the character of other politicians elected by the people? What would Lincoln do in regard to the character of lobbyists, heads of special interest groups, etc.?

What would Lincoln do in regard to his own character?

That is the important question - for all the others hang on it. Abraham Lincoln was, as we noted in yesterday’s posting, a man of character. He was a man who studied moral values, and worked to build them into his life. He was a man for whom moral values, ethics, character were extremely important.

As early as age 21, Abraham Lincoln showed that he had built his character. The Lincoln family was moving from Indiana to Illinois - a move by covered wagon - a wagon pulled by two yoke of oxen. Day after day, the oxen plodded through muddy prairies and forded swollen streams. It was early springtime, and still bitterly cold.

At dusk one afternoon, after they had struggled across a stream filled with broken ice, the Lincoln family discovered that a little dog had been left behind on the far shore. It was late, and they couldn’t possibly take the oxen back across. It was cold, and almost impossible to cross the icy waters on foot.

What would Lincoln do?

Abraham saw the little dog racing up and down the bank, yelping in distress. Quickly, the tall young man pulled off his shoes and socks. He waded into the ice-choked stream, and fought his way to the opposite bank. He scooped up the shivering dog, and fought his way back across the stream. As he set the little dog on the ground, it leaped for joy. In every way it knew, it thanked Lincoln for rescuing it.

Abraham Lincoln exercised character when he showed such compassion toward the small dog. He must have thought of how cold the water was. He must have considered the danger of making his way among chunks of broken ice. He no doubt looked at the darkening sky and realized the difficulty of crossing the stream twice as darkness was falling. Nevertheless, he showed compassion.

Lincoln made a conscious decision to sacrifice his own comfort in order to rescue a small animal - the pet of one family member. He made a decision to take the consequences of being wet and cold - and of possibly dying in his effort to save the dog.

“What would Lincoln do?” asks the headline.

We answer that question best when we look at the man’s character. Whatever Abraham Lincoln would do in his position as United States President would have been colored by his character.

This young man who so little valued his appearance, his agenda for the day, personal comfort, and even his own life - this man highly valued a small dog in need and the family member whose pet it was. This man exercised character.

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

Abraham Lincoln has been much in the news lately - and with President’s Day on the horizon, he will continue to be in the limelight for a time.

You will probably not be surprised to learn that Abraham Lincoln was much more a man of character than are many current politicians. We often refer to Lincoln’s honesty, of course, but other signs of character are relatively unheralded these days.

Take the stories of Lincoln’s respect - a respect not often exercised by today’s elected officials. Or other stories that show his compassion. Where do we see compassionate politicians now?

Abraham Lincoln was never so busy being important that he did not take time to show respect and compassion. He even took time from his “importance” to show respect and compassion to animals.

As a young lawyer, Lincoln was traveling by horseback from one town to another with a group of lawyers. Two-by-two they rode, bypassing broken branches left by a recent storm.

The road led through a thicket of wild fruit trees, and the men noted the scattered blossoms. Lincoln noticed something else. Among the petals, blown from their nest, lay two little birds. They were too young to fly, and the distressed parent could only flutter nearby, powerless.

Lincoln wanted to stop and help the birds, but his riding companion saw no need. Lincoln and he were important lawyers! They were on their way to important business! The rest of the group had moved on, and he didn’t want to be left behind. The birds might die anyway. Why risk losing one’s position and rank just to take care of two half-dead hatchlings? This was meaningless in the greater scheme of things!

Abraham Lincoln disagreed. He had respect even for tiny birds, i.e., he recognized their value. He decided to exercise compassion, i.e., he felt with the birds in their dilemma and took action to help. He dismounted, hitched his horse to a tree, and looked for the nest. When he found it, he fixed it firmly in a tree, gently picked up the tiny birds, and placed them back in the nest.

Meanwhile, Lincoln’s riding companion rode on and caught up to the other lawyers.

“Where’s Lincoln?” asked one man.

When the traveling companion told them, the lawyers laughed loudly. They rode on until they reached a creek, and then waited for Abraham Lincoln to catch up. When he did, they laughed at him. He and they were all too important to fritter away time hunting dirty old birds’ nests and rescuing little birds, they told him. They had to get to the next town where business awaited them.

Abraham Lincoln held up his hand. “Gentlemen,” he said with great seriousness, “you may laugh, but I could not have slept tonight if I had left those little birds to perish on the ground. Their cries would have rung in my ears.”

Abraham Lincoln’s character shown through in his actions as well as in those words.

Such stories challenge us to look at our own officials: president, vice president, senators, congressmen, and others. Which of them have shown that anything or anyone is more important than their offices? Which have allowed anything or anyone to get in the way of their importance and their plans? Which would stop the political machinery long enough to personally return two baby birds to a nest?

Abraham Lincoln exercised great character in that act of respect and compassion - would those who praise Lincoln and seek to emulate him ever do the same?

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

You will want to read right to the end of this important letter sent to our readers.

We think it reveals an attempt to sell character with dishonesty.

To begin …

- Picture a doctor saying, while smoking her cigarette, that she’s the only one doing anything about the nation’s tobacco problem.
- Imagine a drug dealer saying, while sniffing his cocaine, that he’s the only one doing anything about the nation’s drug problem.
- Now conjure up a character education company saying, with a bold lie, that it’s the only one doing anything about the nation’s moral problem.

The third one requires no imagination. It is fact.

One of several U.S. suppliers of character education materials published the following in a December 22 newsletter mailing, under the headline: “Our country also needs a moral bailout.”

“Our economic, political, and educational systems are collapsing under the weight of unethical and irresponsible conduct. Only one organization is doing anything about it - with business executives, government, sports, and school kids. ____ (company name) needs your help so we can keep doing it.”

“Only one organization”, they claimed, “is doing anything about” the collapse of our systems under the weight of “unethical and irresponsible conduct”.

That company wants everyone to believe that it is the only organization in the U.S. that is doing anything about moral corruption. It wants to be seen as the sole source of character building for “business executives, government, sports, and school kids.” But it is not.

We think theirs was an attempt to sell character with dishonesty.

This well-known organization was willing to engage in the same unethical and irresponsible conduct against which they teach. They were willing to lie, to knowingly make a false claim, in order to “sell” their goods and services – in order to raise funds. They were willing to sacrifice honesty and integrity. They laid aside the courage of their stated convictions. They willingly traded moral character for financial gain.

“But,” you may say, “they probably did not know about other companies such as Character-in-Action.”

That can hardly be true when…

- a quick Internet search would inform of other companies that are “doing anything” regarding character.
- it is sound business practice for a company to know its competition.
- at least one self-identified leader in the company has subscribed to our newsletter for many years.
- that company leader has ordered our materials.
- that leader has directly communicated praise for our work by email and phone.

We wrote to the organization that dared, in the name of character and ethics, to offer a statement that was so clearly false:

“Including our own active character-building organization, Character-in-Action, many organizations are working hard to stem the downward spiral of morality in our society, and many of us are making what you refer to as ‘a real difference in schools, sports, government, and business….’ If you teach integrity, as you claim to do, it is vital that you retract your patently untrue statement. You owe it to your constituency, and to others who are fighting the battle with you.”

What did we expect? We expected that company, which has a large influence in our nation, to print a correction, just as daily newspapers commonly print corrections. We expected them to step up to the character plate, firmly grasp the bat of humility, and hit the integrity ball out of the park.

They did not. We received no apology. Their mailing list received no correction or retraction.

Today, that organization’s January newsletter arrived. It contained nothing to indicate that they had been wrong. Setting themselves up as the only organization doing anything to fight “unethical and irresponsible conduct”, they refused to admit to their readers that they failed to practice what they preach.

They did not back down on their decision to sell character with dishonesty.

A famous U.S. car rental company used to advertise that they were #1 in car rental. They did not go this far, however. They never claimed that they were the “only organization” that was doing anything about car rental.

The company that sent the December mailing discussed above wants you to believe that they are more than #1 in the character building world. They want you to believe that there is NO ONE ELSE in the U.S. “doing anything about” the national decline in moral values.

You know better – and we hope you will help spread the word to others who may have believed their false statement.

We hope you will tell friends and colleagues that Character-in-Action supplies character-building materials, and works hard to live up to the character standard they set for you. We hope you will tell your district schools that Character-in-Action is a great source of solid character education programs.

Above all, we hope you will resolve that, from this day forward, you will not only teach others how to build character, but will also exercise strong character in every area of your life.

“Buy the truth, and sell it not.” Proverbs 23:23a

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

On Saturday, June 28: a teen-aged boy visiting Six Flags Over Georgia died due to a lack of character.

You don’t believe that?

It is, sadly, very true. His death was caused by a lack of character.

First, let me say that I am not saying the teen was a bad person. I never knew him. Nor am I saying it serves him right. I am not callous. I am saddened at the thought of his death and the grief his family is suffering. I can imagine my own son being killed, and my heart goes out to all who knew the teen. Nevertheless, the situation can teach others, both young and old, a vital lesson, and we are obliged to teach it. We are especially obliged to teach young children, repeating the lesson frequently until they are saturated with its truth. Let’s look at how character would have spared this teen.

It began when, lacking the character trait respect toward authority, the teen climbed over two six-foot fences to get into an area that was marked off limits. He could read the multiple signs stating “Danger Zone”, “Do Not Enter”, and “Authorized Personnel Only”. He knew that he should not climb the fences. The trouble is, he lacked character, and refused to exercise respect for park rules. He climbed over both fences and entered the area where he was killed.

Not only did this teen fail to exercise respect, he also failed to exercise the character trait submission, sometimes called obedience. Submitting to the signs he read, and obeying them, would have increased his personal safety. He would not have been in harm’s way. The trouble is, he lacked character, and refused to exercise submissiveness. As a result, he was struck and killed by the Batman ride.

A third character trait that the boy failed to exercise was courage. He understood clearly what the right thing to do was, but he lacked the courage to do it. He failed to exercise courage and stand alone when the rest of his teen group decided to climb the fence. He failed to speak up, remind them of the demands of character, and refuse to go against what he knew to be wrong. As a result, he was decapitated.

One report says the teenager jumped up under the moving Batman ride, and tried to grab someone’s feet. Riders’ feet dangle in space below the Batman as it hurtles along at 50 miles per hour. Had the teen exercised the character trait compassion, he would have realized that such an action would endanger a rider. As it was, his lack of compassion endangered – and killed – him. No one else was injured.

Self-control would have kept the seventeen-year old from giving in to his itch to play a prank. Self-control would have nailed his feet to the ground when he had an impulse to scale the fence. He failed to exercise self-control, however, and his failure cost him his life.

Check out a list of character traits, and you will see that many others apply in this situation. The point is this: character steps up the personal safety factor.

The exercise of character traits really does make life safer. The more I study that, the more I realize that it is true. Those who build character into their lives, and exercise it consistently, avoid many dangerous situations.

Parents and teachers would do well to drill this lesson into every child – and teach character in a way that is, above all else, thorough and effective.

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

“Character is the only secure foundation of the state,” said President Calvin Coolidge, and our last two blog entries considered the meaning of that statement. Coolidge was “distinguished for character more than for heroic achievement,” wrote a Democratic admirer, Alfred E. Smith. In other words, Coolidge did not only talk about character, but also exercised character. He was able to speak freely about character because there was no dichotomy between what he said and what he did.

Let’s look at a few last comparisons between the behavior of character and the behavior of modern politicians in the U.S.

- Character agrees with President Coolidge’s exhortation: “Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong.” He learned and exercised the character trait “love” in doing what was best for everyone, both weak and strong. He knew that we could never strengthen the weak and poor of our nation by taking from the strong and giving it to the weak. He knew that would only weaken the entire nation. The weak and poor had to build character. They had to exercise industriousness for themselves. They had to exercise persistence, efficiency, punctuality, responsibility, respect, and a host of other character traits that lead to greater success.

By contrast, many modern politicians want to achieve redistribution of wealth – as long as it does not redistribute what is in their own pockets. Contrary to the belief of Coolidge, they urge the pulling down of the strong (except for themselves) in a supposed effort to build up the weak. This is not character. This is not love. No character trait is exercised when we feed people who refuse to work. No character trait is involved in taking from those who work hard for a living and giving to those who reject hard work.

A government that is founded on and operates by character is a government that trains its people to know that no one gets a free ride. It is a government that makes it clear in actions as well as words that everyone must work for his or her food, clothing, education, health care, etc.

Character is not at the foundation of politicians’ promises to feed and clothe those who are oppressed – when that oppression is due to rejection of such character traits as: diligence, determination, dependability, resourcefulness, responsibility, respect, forgiveness, self-control, persistence, perseverance, etc. These character traits pave the road that leads out of oppression.

Character is not at the foundation of many political promises – when those promises are made in order to gain office and power. Character does not seek fame and power for self. Character does not seek change for the sake of self.

Character is not puffed up with its own importance. Character is not noisy. Calvin Coolidge was called “The Quiet President” and not the eloquent president.

If we were to found a government on character, that government would require far less money; far fewer government workers; and far fewer laws. A government founded on the secure foundation of character would not need a proliferation of politicians with large staffs. It would have no use for lobbyists who strive to influence those politicians. It would never produce laws with earmarks and pork barrel spending. It would have very low, reasonable taxes to fund its minimal size.

If we were to found a government on character, that government would expect its people to operate on character also, learning and exercising character traits that lead to financial independence. Yes, there would still be poor people. The poverty would not be due to lack of character, however, and needs would be met by individuals with character rather than by big government.

As President Coolidge said, “Character is the only secure foundation of the state.”

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

“Character is the only secure foundation of the state,” said President Calvin Coolidge, and our last blog entry looked at the kind of man who would make such a statement. We saw a politician who had the courage of his convictions. We saw a politician who knew that governments tend to rise and fall based on the presence or absence of character in their leaders.

Now let’s contrast President Coolidge’s beliefs with those of our current politicians.

- President Coolidge was not afraid to admit that his political strategy required no great intellect. He was not afraid to show that any child could operate by his political strategy. In a January 17, 1925 speech, he said, “There is only one form of political strategy in which I have any confidence, and that is to try to do the right thing and sometimes succeed. In other words – character – doing the right thing.

Modern politicians cloak political strategy, believing that the common man or woman will marvel at their wisdom. They may state plainly that character is not important: it is the economy – or health care – or peace – or any of a multitude of other things. These matters, not character, dictate political strategy.

- President Coolidge gave the people credit for intelligence – far more credit than many modern politicians are willing to give. He exercised the character trait “respect” when he thought of and spoke of his countrymen. He did not take an elitist attitude toward them. He never indicated that he knew better than they what was good for them. He respected them and believed they could solve their own problems. He held them in proper esteem.

By contrast, hundreds of modern politicians show disrespect, disdain for their countrymen. They plan and plot behind the scenes, and assure voters that they have a million wonderful ideas for them. They promise, as though they were gods, to make everything perfect. This is not character. It is merely self ambition, wanting to have things go the way of the politician.

- Coolidge exercised the character trait “love” in seeking to do what was truly best for his countrymen. He wanted to work for the success of everyone, not just a few. He put it this way: “The people cannot look to legislation generally for success. Industry, thrift, character, are not conferred by act or resolve. He knew, too, that it was not love for his people if he were to levy heavy taxes on corporations and oil companies. “The suspension of one man’s dividends,” said Coolidge, “is the suspension of another man’s pay envelope.” In other words, to tax the dividends of big companies is not an act of character toward the oppressed worker. The result will only be that the oppressed worker loses the job he does have.

By contrast, we currently hear politicians demanding penalties on those who experience the greatest success. “Windfall profits” must be taxed heavily, they say, for the good of the worker. This is not love. This is not character. Such demands threaten increasing trouble, not good, for the worker.

- Coolidge believed that “Laws must be justified by something more than the will of the majority. They must rest on the eternal foundation of righteousness.

Modern politicians believe that laws are justified by the will of the majority in Congress. Period. Full stop. Character and righteousness do not matter. Welfare programs that ignore character traits such as personal responsibility, diligence, determination, and perseverance are pushed into law as rapidly as possible. People who think themselves lucky to have such laws are soon worse off than before.

Character is the only secure foundation of any government in the world.

This subject calls for one more blog entry, and then we will move to other matters.

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

“Character is the only secure foundation of the state.” Those words were uttered by President Calvin Coolidge in a speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors on January 17, 1925.

As the 30th president of the U.S. (1872 - 1933), President Coolidge knew and stated clearly what many modern politicians, who suppose themselves more enlightened, refuse to recognize: the most important matter in government is the matter of character.

President Coolidge was not open to letting special interest groups, labor groups, lobbyists, or anyone else push him easily to legislate or create programs. He believed that if there was a reasonable expectation that free people would solve problems themselves, the government should stand aside and let them do it. He believed that people with character could and would solve problems on their own.

Character was the foundation on which Coolidge built when he made major tax cuts Character was the foundation on which Coolidge built when he slashed the government’s budget. It was a foundation of character that helped make his name synonymous with the fast-growing 1920s economy.

Character – moral excellence – was the basis on which Calvin Coolidge refused to participate in the onward march of an ever-growing government. On the basis of character, he actively resisted the same.

Fast-forward to the current political campaigns being waged in the United States, and you find that character plays no part. Not only is it given little mention, it also is given little part in candidates’ lives.

One needs look no further than the opening sentence of Coolidge’s inaugural address to find character. Rather than rant against the discouraging matters faced by his country, as modern politicians are fond of doing, Coolidge said, “My Countrymen, no one can contemplate current conditions without finding much that is satisfying and still more that is encouraging.”

Politicians of character are able to point out positive accomplishments, even when they must be attributed to another leader or a different political party. They waste neither time nor words bashing a politician who is about to leave office. They refrain from bashing their competition. Rather, politicians of character speak clearly and plainly about every positive plan they have for the nation. They focus on making sure every voter understands exactly where they plan to take the nation.

Politicians who exercise character have hammered out their personal convictions. They have the courage of those convictions, and are not afraid to tell the public honestly and fully what to expect of them.

Sadly, the focus in our current presidential campaign has turned not to character, but to eloquence.

Mr. Obama, speaking eloquently, fails to exhibit a concern about his character. He fails to show distress about the character of Congress. He gives no assurance that if he is elected, he will echo the words of Coolidge, “Character is the only secure foundation of the state.” Rather, in eloquent rhetoric, the man who has been dubbed a “rock star” tells us that the only secure foundation of the state is to let government take over every area of life for us.

Mr. McCain, speaking less eloquently, is also silent on the subject of character. He, too, fails to address the great failures of Congress to act on principle. Like Obama, McCain gives no assurance that a government under his leadership would be founded on character.

In Part 2 of this entry, we’ll look at some difference between a government founded on character and a government founded on the thinking of modern politicians.

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

Many teachers are looking for character education lesson plans. Teaching character education is not their choice and they lack interest; they lack time; or perhaps they simply don’t know where to begin. Whatever the reason, they don’t want to prepare their own, so they search the Internet for ready-made character education lesson plans. They reach for convenience.

“Free” is a prerequisite word for many teachers. Their schools fail to realize the importance of character education and budget sufficient money for it. They believe this subject can be taught without expense. So their teachers want free character education activities; free character education posters; etc. They want, in other words, free character education lesson plans.

That is not a problem as long as the free plans are robust. The question is: are they?

Character education lesson plans need to be powerful enough to be effective. They need to grab the attention of students, and hold it. They need to bring students to a complete understanding of character and specific character traits. They need to create in students a thirst to build character into their individual lives. They need to make a big difference in the lives of the children and teenagers involved.

Good character education lesson plans, prepared by experienced, professional educators who themselves model the character they are teaching, can do those things. They weave character teaching subtly into exciting materials, coming in under the average teenager’s radar. They present character to younger students in non-threatening, enchanting stories. They make every age anticipate, rather than hate character education classes.

Quality character education lesson plans make sure every student fully understands the meaning of the character trait being presented. They define the trait in age-appropriate words. They explain clearly the objective meaning, leaving no room for subjective, private interpretation. They help students see that respect, for example, is the same for everyone. Honesty, for example, always requires the complete absence of deception in both words and actions. The character education activities and other materials included in such a lesson plan reinforce the meaning of the character trait.

Many character education lesson plans give definitions, but they often do not make those definitions clear. They do not define the trait objectively. They encourage students to sort out their own subjective understanding of character traits. Such lesson plans lack power. They are wimpish.

The best character education lesson plans do not stop with basic understanding. They go on to make students desire the character trait in their own lives. They motivate. They hold up the trait and make it sparkle. They show the benefits that are to be enjoyed if it is built into the life. What does it matter whether or not you are responsible? What are the benefits of responsibility? Lesson plans that fail to do this are not potent enough. They exercise insufficient influence on young people.

Finally, powerful character education lesson plans help students take the final step and begin to put the learned character trait into action on a regular, consistent basis. If this step is lacking, the study of character has become an exercise in futility. Students have been given knowledge without expectation. They have been taught a skill without expectation that they will use it and without help in learning to use it. We might as well show babies a video on how to walk and think we have taught them to walk. A lesson plan that is lacking in implementation of the trait is weak and pathetic.

If you are teaching character education or character building, whether as a parent or school educator, you need to invest time and effort into finding and using the most powerful character education lesson plans available.

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

High school graduation rates have plummeted to a point below 50 percent in some U.S. cities. That’s according to the “America’s Promise Alliance”, which found that only about half of public school students in the nation’s largest cities receive diplomas.

Viewing the nation as a whole, the group found that only about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time, with a standard diploma. Annual drop-outs numbered about 1.2 million.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, founding chair of the alliance, said, “When more than 1 million students a year drop out of high school, it’s more than a problem, it’s a catastrophe.

Catastrophe?! A further catastrophe is that these drop-outs could have been avoided if someone had helped students build character along the way.

Character increases high school graduation rates.

Schools in the U.S. have long included a course in “character education”, so why have these students not built character into their lives? Certainly, some would not listen any better in character education classes than they would in other classes. But that answer is insufficient.

Character education programs have been neglected in our schools. Monies have gone to other, “more interesting” programs. Principals and budget committees have slighted character education programs. Character education programs have been relegated to grades K-3, with the thought that they are unimportant after that age. Teachers and guidance counselors who are assigned to use character education programs have circumvented responsibility, half-heartedly presenting anemic discussions that leave character education emaciated and powerless.

Good character education programs, presented by dedicated teachers who themselves model the character they are teaching, can dramatically increase high school graduation rates, however. Quality character education programs that are used at both primary and secondary levels can revolutionize students’ lives.

Students who are regularly and clearly taught the moral absolute of respect will begin to pay attention to teachers in school. Students who are fed a consistent diet of authentic responsibility will learn to apply themselves academically. Regular lessons in the importance of self-control will yield students who control urges that sabotage learning.

Character increases high school graduation rates by increasing student desire to do what is right. As the desire increases, performance also increases, and students complete their education.

High school graduation rates have plummeted, says the report, and a search has been launched to find ways to correct the situation. I hope that search results in strong, consistent use of the best character education programs available.

That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?

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