(Sacramento, California)
Eureka! It's not only the state motto of California; it's a great word to describe this year's election process. My son Patrick says "Eureka" means "I have found it!" In 1849, that meant gold. Today, it means kids have found a link to the presidential election, as well as to the worlds of politics and government about which they can talk and learn.
Sunday, this interest took us to the state capital of California in Sacramento with Troop 36 of the Boy Scouts from St. Timothy's Church in Danville, CA. There were twelve Scouts and nine parents and many lessons about democracy. Interest in all this stuff always seems to peak when there is a big election, and this year does not disappoint.
As the kids posed in front of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office, at least they knew who the governor is! When I see surveys indicating that 80 percent of the public cannot even name the current Vice-president, it really worries me. Scouting supplements the kids' school work, so I see much of it as an extension of the classroom, or a place Scouts get more education. Yes, they enjoy camping and lots of outdoor activities; but trips like this really help fill in educational gaps.
The Scouts all knew that Ronald Reagan was the only Governor of California to have become President of the United States. We saw his official portrait in the Capitol. We also saw a very unusual contrasting portrait of then-Governor Jerry Brown, who succeeded Reagan and now serves as the state's Attorney General.
The contrast between the two portraits certainly illustrates the diversity of Americans' political views (not to mention artistic tastes) - diversity which may drive us all nuts, but is the envy of every other nation on earth! Just some fun trivia: 
The Capitol took fourteen years to build, and huge steel columns had to be floated on barges up the Sacramento River. The Assembly Chamber is green, modeled after Britain's House of Commons; and the Senate Chamber is red, modeled after the British House of Lords. The original Capitol had no electricity. The last governor actually to work in the original office was Earl Warren, who left to become Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
The Capitol took fourteen years to build, and huge steel columns had to be floated on barges up the Sacramento River. The Assembly Chamber is green, modeled after Britain's House of Commons; and the Senate Chamber is red, modeled after the British House of Lords. The original Capitol had no electricity. The last governor actually to work in the original office was Earl Warren, who left to become Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
My point is that buildings such as this are rich in history, and our kids need to know that. The best lesson of the day came from the tour guide. He asked the boys why there are public galleries, with balconies over both the Assembly and Senate chambers. When no one answered, he told the boys it was so the public could "look over the shoulders of their political officials, to see what they're up too!" The boys came away having learned that their government belongs to them; it does not belong to the people who get elected.
John McCain visits California today, while Barack Obama is in the key state of New Mexico. I will have more presidential analysis all week at www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com.
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1 comment:
Mark,
Great post! I didn't realize we had learned so much. Thanks for all your help yesterday. The more I get involved in Scouts, the more I realize what a valuable program it is for our boys. Thanks for your contribution!
Mary Beth
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