Am I the Only One?

Am I the only one that longs for a world where words are not spun to gloss over the truth? It seems it has become an integral part of our culture...softening the real meaning by redesigning what words we use...from politics (pro-choice...sounds like a positive thing, doesn't it?) clear down to the scripting that our schools now instruct teachers to use when communicating with the students and parents.

I called Doug's teacher today to explain why Doug would not be participating in his long anticipated field trip. She sweetly replied, "Yes, Doug did have a rough day yesterday." As many times over the last four years that I have heard one of his teachers sympathetically note he has had a "rough" day, this adjective still makes my jaw involuntarily tighten. No! He did NOT have a "rough" day! A rough day is when other children are picking on you. A rough day is when you forget your lunch and trip during gymn class and lose your book. Doug did not have a rough day yesterday. In fact, I rather suspect that he enjoyed his day with abandon...as he made poor choice after poor choice. He was not the victim yesterday...he was the rebel. If anyone had a "rough" day, yesterday, I am certain it was his teacher, not him!

It annoys me that the educators in our land are forced to sugar-coat the truth by using scripted wording to gloss over what needs to be said. Maybe there would be more respect and responsibility displayed in our present culture if we quit being so politically correct. When a child willfully misbehaves at school, why is the teacher forced to state in sympathetic tones, "he had a rough day". Why can't we just say, "Your child chose to act like a brat yesterday and he needs some firm discplining ASAP from his parents!" Yet, in four years, I have yet to hear that from any of his teachers. Most of the time my son makes a genuine effort to be good, in spite of his rambunctious nature...but he has his moments. There are days when he is an absolute terror. Not so much at home...it isn't allowed here(!), but certainly in the more word-friendly enviroment of the school system, where you can be disrespectful and disobedient knowing that all your teacher (or even the principal) can do about it is to call your mother and say in apologetic tones "Doug had a rough day today."

I feel sympathy for the educators of our day. They are expected to bring out the best in our children while having their hands tied behind their back...muzzled with politically correct pre-scripted phrases to communicate about the issues that arise and stripped of all true authority within the classroom they are expected to control. Just my two cents worth of observation as a parent of a child who periodically chooses to act out.