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 "FATHER" NEWT KNOWS BEST
   by Ray Koziel
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   I have been thinking recently about my childhood, school,
 and in particular what teachers had to put up with, while trying to
 fill our young heads with knowledge. When I was a kid, the things
 teachers had to deal with were chewing gum in class, passing notes,
 and bringing the newest G. I. Joe action figure to school.
 Almost twenty years have passed and we see what teachers face today
 -- crime -- sex, drugs, and guns.

   What made me consider such a sad but true fact was, not an
 evening goes by when we hear news about a fifteen-year-old getting
 shot in a drive-by shooting, a seventeen-year-old dying of a drug
 overdose, or some other depressing news story of this nature. The
 other reason was all the hype surrounding House Speaker Newt Gingrich
 and his idea for dealing with these issues. His plan, supported by
 many of his constituents, involves bringing back the orphanage, as
 depicted in the classic movie BOYS TOWN.

   The movie, for those unfamiliar with it, is about a priest who
 gets the idea to start a community for boys who may have gotten into
 trouble with the law, ran away from home, or just needed a place to
 stay. The movie is based on fact -- Father Flanagan, the founder,
 really lived, and succeeded in his dream of starting Boys Town. This
 community still exists today and continues its mission. In fact,
 girls are now accepted into Boys Town too.

   Opponents of this idea say that promoting orphanages, of this
 type, would be terrible. They use Charles Dickens', OLIVER TWIST as
 an example of what could happen to children placed into those
 orphanages. They speak of the terrible conditions children would
 have to endure --  such as filth and neglect. In comparing OLIVER
 TWIST to BOYS TOWN, it is similar to comparing apples and oranges --
 the two are completely different.

   From the book, young Oliver was an orphan who lived in a parish
 workhouse. The English definition of a workhouse is a public
 institution where the poor are fed, clothed, housed, and in return
 are put to work. The American definition of a workhouse is simply a
 correction facility, similar to a reformatory. So, what is an
 orphanage? An orphanage is simply an institution for the housing and
 care of orphans. Housing and care -- sounds nice enough. The plan
 said nothing about putting the orphans to work, or acting as a
 correctional facility, only providing care and housing for children
 without anyone to look to or anyplace to go.

   It's no wonder that when one thinks of OLIVER TWIST it conjures
 negative images of child neglect and punishment, even excessive
 punishment. To use these images to classify all orphanages and
 similar institutions and communities is unjustified. By definition
 they are not the same, as pointed out above. Even if the public house
 which was depicted in OLIVER TWIST could be characterized as an
 orphanage, it is necessary to compare the society of that time with
 that of today.

   The book by Dickens was written in the late 1830's, a time when
 England was adjusting to the dramatic effects of the Industrial
 Revolution. Although this period had many benefits, there were some
 negative side effects as well, such as growth of cities and urban
 areas. With increased population density within the cities, crime and
 poverty increased as well. Without previous experience in handling
 such rapid changes, governments were at a loss to remedy these ills
 effectively.

   Almost one hundred years separate Dickens' OLIVER TWIST and
 Father Flanagan's Boys Town. In that time, cities and societies
 adjusted to many of the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution.
 Yet, problems still remained, particularly among children as they
 were (and are) subjected to many negative influences. Father Flanagan
 could not find it in his heart to believe that some children were
 predisposed to be bad -- from birth. He believed all children were
 good by nature, and if removed from the negative influences of
 society during childhood, they would grow up to be hard-working,
 stable, and caring citizens. Thus, Father Flanagan set out to
 establish Boys Town to give children that chance.

   In looking at Boys Town, one sees a "community" that is
 completely different from a typical orphanage. When watching the
 movie, you'll see a body of government established. Basically it
 consisted of one person who took the position similar to that of
 Mayor and then there was a Board of Commissioners. It's fascinating
 that these positions were filled by the children who stayed at Boys
 Town. It could have been very easy for Father Flanagan to make all
 the decisions and rules for his community, but instead, he passed
 that responsibility to the children -- making them accountable
 for their actions from the start.

   The crops they raised, the meals they ate, and maintenance of
 their property were under their control. Aside from guidance and
 suggestions from Father Flanagan, they ran the show. They were
 also accountable for whether they stayed at Boys Town or not. There
 were no gates, barbed wire, locked doors, or barred windows forcing
 the children to stay. If a child wanted to leave, so be it. Because
 the environment and "society" established at Boys Town was so
 nurturing and caring it was a rarity that a child left.

   So how could a community like Boys Town ever be compared to a
 workhouse as depicted in OLIVER TWIST, when the two are as different
 as night and day?  An episode of SIXTY MINUTES which aired several
 weeks ago had a feature on orphanages and showed two located in
 Illinois. One was situated away from any major cities, and functioned
 very similar to Boys Town. The children were cared for, yet, had the
 responsibility for many decisions affecting their community. The
 second was located in the Chicago area, and was different than its
 counterpart. In many instances, there were not enough adults to
 adequately supervise the children, and it was very difficult to
 isolate the children from the ills found in a major American city.

   Not all orphanages are perfect. For an orphanage to be successful,
 like Boys Town, many elements need to be in place. For example, it
 is necessary to have people who are truly concerned for the future
 of the children; and at the same time, encourage the children to be
 accountable for their actions. Another key element is the importance
 in reducing, as much as possible, the negative influences found in
 major urban areas.

   In order for Gingrich's plan to take place, it would require
 many resources -- especially money. You would expect federal funding
 for the plan, but that would not be the wisest choice for many
 reasons. Look at all the public services our government provides,
 and decide how successful they are. Our public education system is
 an atrocity, public housing complexes are run down and a breeding
 ground for crime. Our welfare system is overly "taxed" and abused.
 Considering all the money taxpayers are forking over to the government
 for poorly performing programs -- the last thing needed -- is to tack
 one more to the list.

   Instead, what has to occur is similar to what made Boys Town a
 success: a risk-taking, entrepreneurial, unselfish attitude from
 individuals, or groups of people willing to help those in need.
 Father Flanagan found the resources in himself and his acquaintances
 to make his dream a reality -- and a very successful one at that.

   Of course, this would mean there may never be enough of these
 "communities" to help all the children in need. But, this should
 not be a cure-all in the first place. If there is any commonality
 between OLIVER TWIST and Boys Town, it's the message that strong,
 moral, and ethical values in a loving and caring environment make
 the difference in a child's development.

   Orphanages and communities for children may help short term. But,
 it's the reinstatement of strong solid family values, learned in the
 home, and repositioning the family as the cornerstone of society that
 is necessary -- for long-term and lasting improvement to our society.


                                {DREAM}


 Copyright 1995 Ray Koziel, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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 Ray Koziel lives in Atlanta, Georgia where he works for a consulting
 firm. He has a wife, two children, and a dog who help him keep his
 epub addiction going strong. Ray can be reached in this reality via
 CompuServe at 73753,3044 or via Internet at 73753.3044@compuserve.com
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