Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: BRISK (10/12/23)
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TITLE: One More Signature | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jack Taylor
10/14/23 -
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Sandra secured her skirt and crouched to retrieve the fugitive. “Thank you! My friend. You got it, indeed.” She brushed off the dirt and set it back on the table under a small rock weighing the stack down.
The child’s mother snugged her hijab tighter and glanced around. “What are all the papers for? I see many people signing. Even some of my own.”
The smile was genuine as she extended the sheet. “It’s a petition. The principal in our school has said that parents are no longer allowed to know what is being taught to their children about sexuality and gender orientation and that none of us are permitted to take our children out of classes while these things are being taught. The teachers are not allowed to call boys, boys, or girls, girls. Last week the teacher told the children in my daughter’s class that they could be a boy or girl or whatever else they decided to be.”
“How can they teach such a thing? We left our home to raise our children in peace and freedom. Why is this taught?”
“It is now the law that these things must be taught or teachers can lose their jobs.”
A Kenyan mother is a bright wrap-around skirt stepped up. “What does the petition say?”
“It says that we are people of peace who want to partner with teachers in communicating care for others without having to label them. We want to be left with the responsibility to teach our children about sexuality in ways that we feel are culturally appropriate for our own beliefs and values. We believe we need to do this briskly before more damage is done to the hearts and minds of our next generations.”
“Give me the pen. A boy is a boy and a girl is a girl. I didn’t have to graduate from a university here to know this.”
Two strollers boasting little ones arrived. The black one, pushed by a diminutive Asian mom, and the blue one, pushed by an Indian mom. “Our friends told us about what is being taught inside,” the Indian said. “We may not believe the same things as you but we care for our children just as much. What religion do we have to be to sign this?”
A petition was passed over to the new arrivals. “Read it!” Sandra said. “It says nothing about religion. Although I believe that the true God made one man and one woman and that he set up marriage for one man and one woman, this is a commitment that we want to work with the school to help our children be loving, peaceful, welcoming members of our community but that we would like to reserve the right to teach our own children about sexuality in a way that we think is culturally appropriate for us.”
A stout Latin American craned his neck through the gathering crowd. “Ola, my amigos. I thought you must be selling tacos but when I hear what the school is selling, I want to sign. Your business is so brisk you have no pens left.”
The Kenyan passed her pen and petition to the man. “We must all do this,” she said.
“What chance is there that they will listen?” the first mother asked.
“Will our children be dismissed from the school if they see our names? Will the authorities come to our homes or report us?”
Sandra clutched the pile of papers to her chest. “I know many of you came from difficult countries where you could not trust the government with your children’s future. I hope that this country is not moving yet to a place where we have to start our own schools so our children will be safe in what we know to be true.”
The woman reached for a pen. “I should ask my husband but I will sign and hope that our sacrifices to bring our children here will not be in vain. I see Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims signing. Can we truly agree on this one thing in peace?”
“Together, we have a better chance to be heard,” Sandra said. “If they can divide us on this, they can divide us on anything.”
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Excellent job.
Blessings~
Your entry started and ended well. It was clearly written and communicated.
Thank you