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WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?’ ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TAUGHT IT’S YOUR ‘FAMILY’
Aug. 30, 2013 3:51pm Fred Lucas

Fourth-grade students in Illinois are learning that “government is like a nation’s family” because it sets rules and takes care of needs such as health care and education.

So says a worksheet for social studies homework that was distributed to students at East Prairie School in Skokie, Ill, complete with a drawing of Uncle Same cradling a baby that represents the citizens.

Illinois School Defends Government = Family Homework
The worksheet distributed to fourth-graders at East Prairie School in Skokie, Ill.
Students are then prompted to answer 10 questions comparing government and families, including how their family provides for their health care needs and how the government does the same, and what rules families set and what rules government sets.

The worksheet it titled, “What is Government?” and then goes on to answer that question.

“Government is all of the agencies, departments, organizations, groups, individuals in a nation who make, carry out, enforce, and manage conflicts about rules and laws,” the worksheet says.

“Government is like a nation’s family. Families take care of children and make sure they are safe, healthy and educated, and free to enjoy life. Families encourage children to be independent hardworking and responsible,” it continues. “Families make and enforce rules and give appropriate punishments when rules are broken. Government does these things for its citizens, too.”

A concerned parent forwarded the homework assignment to TheBlaze. The worksheet asks the following questions:

1. How does your family keep you safe?

2. How does the government keep its citizens safe?

3. How does your family keep you healthy?

4. How does the government keep its citizens healthy?

5. How does your family help you learn and become educated?

6. How does the government help its citizens learn and become educated?

7. What kind of rules does your family have for you?

8. What kind of rules does government have for its citizens?

9. How does your family punish you when you break the rules?

10. How does government punish citizens who break the law?


Teri Madl, the superintendent for East Prairie School District 73 in Illinois, told TheBlaze the assignment was not pushing a political message.

“In response to your questions and said worksheet, it is meant to offer a simple analogy that helps children understand that part of a government’s role is to set rules, enforce those rules, and provide safety, security and freedom for its citizens,” Madl said in a statement. “It is not an attempt to include and/or promote a political message. If a parent does have a concern I would encourage him or her to contact the child’s teacher.”

Quoted from senders

WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?’ ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TAUGHT IT’S YOUR ‘FAMILY’
Aug. 30, 2013 3:51pm Fred Lucas

Fourth-grade students in Illinois are learning that “government is like a nation’s family” because it sets rules and takes care of needs such as health care and education.

Quoted Text

9. How does your family punish you when you break the rules?

Quoted from CICERO

Usually pepper sprayed or a tasered by mom and dad heavily armed and in SWAT gear until incapacitated, especially if caught with pot in their bedroom, then locked in the basement for a few years until they serve their debt to the family.  

I respond to all family and child rearing problems like government agents.  Always use overwhelming force, lies, and threats of locking them in the basement if they don't comply with my rules.

A lot of the times I threaten the kids by taking away what they've come to expect - Christmas presents.  Like the government, I make up a fictitious character that sees them when they are sleeping and awake(like the NSA) called Santa Clause. And if they are not complying with my rules, I tell them Santa will not give them presents and actually put coal in their stocking to show his displeasure with their behavior.  This keeps them in line for the early years.

I personally run my family democratically, every year there is a vote, and the two people on the ballot are mom and dad.  If they choose dad, dad makes the house rules, if they choose mom, mom makes the house rules.  And for that year, all the rules the kids don't like, they can blame them on mom or dad.  Every year or two, the kids switch it up because they don't like the rules, only to find out the rules don't change when they elect the other parent.  They always claim that the wife and I conspire to support each others rules.  I call them crazy conspiracy theorists and tell them to elect the other parent next year if they want change.  They usually stop questioning after shaming them with the conspiracy theory label.  If that doesn't work, then I tell them if they don't like the democratic house rules, for them to run away and find another family.

One thing I can't ever let happen, is for my children to grow up thinking they can make their own rules and develop their own values and identity.  Hopefully, if I'm successful, they will continue this family management style with their children and their children's children, and so on and so forth.