People in Federal Way are concerned about what our kids are learning in the schools.
Our superintendent says that we have some of the most successful schools in the nation and students that are outstanding. Not everyone in Federal Way agrees with the superintendent’s assessment. Nevertheless, I believe that the Federal Way School District is doing everything it knows to make the schools excellent — and safe.
Notwithstanding my vote of confidence, however, I sometimes see things that cause me to question educational policy from a philosophical standpoint. I came of age in the 1960s when we were questioning everything. I was a member of what some folks still refer to as the “counterculture.” Now I am a member of the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce and the Noon Kiwanis Club. I am an active Republican, churchman and erstwhile judicial candidate. I care about what our kids learn in school.
School kids sometimes take time out from learning about diversity to learn how to put on a condom. Of course, I don’t believe such statements, but sometimes I hear things that make me wonder. I recently received a call from an advertising firm with whom I had previously contracted to place an advertisement for my law firm. The firm publishes posters that are distributed by Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way. I told the firm months ago to ensure that our firm’s logo — a picture of an M-16 rifle — wasn’t going to cause a problem.
Now the account representative is telling me that her firm has to reprint all the posters. Officials at Todd Beamer think the image of a rifle, used by our U.S. military, conflicts with the message of Todd Beamer: The 9/11 hero that inspired the name of the high school — i.e., the guy who took matters into his own hands and gave new meaning to the phrase “Let’s roll.”
I am told Todd Beamer High School will not even allow our URL on the ad. The Firearms Lawyer Web site is known for promoting the Boy Scouts, the U.S. Constitution, military history, emergency preparedness and Biblical understanding of America’s cultural heritage. My law firm may be the only one in America with a professional Web site so riddled with Scriptural passages that some people think I should be arrested for displaying the Bible with intent to intimidate secular humanists. Religion doesn’t challenge the tolerance of school administrators. The schools are so open-minded that “Catcher in the Rye” was once assigned reading — until “The Electric Kool-aid Acid Test” came along.
Justice Scalia and many Washingtonians — even Kiwanians — used to take their rifles and shotguns to school for club practices. I have been conducting classes that teach lawful gun owners their legal responsibilities. A URL is cause for alarm, however. Guns send the wrong message to kids. I should have a URL titled “www.RappinAndRollin.com” with the “F,” “B” and “N” words. Popular culture is as educational as the Founding Fathers. In fact, they sent the wrong message: The Founders advocated for an armed citizenry, too.
