By Jeff Orvis
For a few days, Belle Plaine was in
the news, both locally and nationally. After last night, because of
the action of the Belle Plaine Board of Education, our little town
faded back from the limelight, which is probably a good thing.
At issue was the decision by school
administrators to end the practice of firing off a 21-gun salute to
close the annual Veterans' Day observance. For many years, local
veterans groups have presented a school assembly, complete with a
flag ceremony, usually a guest speaker and the salute, followed by
the playing of “Taps.”
But this year, it was decided not to
allow guns in the school, even if they were handled by veterans and
were loaded with blank ammunition. I haven't met our superintendent,
but I can only suppose that with the tragedies of mass killings in
schools and movie theaters in this country, along with the mounting
body count of children through gun violence, maybe it was thought a
change was needed.
This decision set off a social media
firestorm. Fueled by the seemingly unending resources of the National
Rifle Association, an Iowa gun owners group promised a protest at
this week's school board meeting. More important to local residents,
this decision seemed like a slap in the face of our veterans, along
with several young people from here currently serving in the armed
forces.
Another factor in this is how well
received this annual assembly has been. I can remember when I was in
school, some kids were less than attentive at some assemblies and
more than once the whole school was called on the carpet by our
principal. I attended most of the Veterans' Day assemblies when I was
at the newspaper and I was constantly surprised at how well behaved
the junior and senior high school students were for this program. I
suspect one of the main reasons for this behavior was the fact that
most of the students know someone who is currently in the military or
are the children of veterans.
While I don't yet know the school
superintendent, I am friends with several members of the board of
education. I am not surprised, based on reports I have seen, that the
board was not swayed by the sudden media interest, but did take the
time to hear statements from members of the capacity crowd at the
meeting. In the end, the board voted to allow the custom to continue
as in the past.
School officials should not be
condemned for introducing this proposal. In this ever-growing gun
crazy culture, maybe this was a good time to consider whether a
change would be in order. But on the other hand, we are losing
dozens, if not hundreds, of veterans of our wars from World War Two
to the present, each day. Also, many American Legion and VFW chapters
are having problems staying afloat.
To be certain, I am no war hawk. I am
of an age where I could have been eligible for the Vietnam draft. I
did not agree with our involvement in that conflict, especially as it
was commanded by a corrupt federal government. Through educational
and physical deferments, I never served in the military. But I
recognize the need for our country to have a strong defense today.
Before we became involved in what has been called America's longest
war, a career in the military was also a good alternative for many
young people.
We should honor those who have fought
for us. The 21-gun salute is a fitting way to remind all of us what
price so many paid for our freedom. Thanks to our school board
members for their decision. And thanks to our superintendent for
having the courage to start a dialogue on this topic. If nothing
else, it should serve as a teachable moment for classes where history
and current events are taught.
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