Our Own Good.

Am I repeating something here?  Probably so forgive the repetition.  When something sticks in my craw, I have to work it out.

How many times do we hear something is for 'our own good'?  It assaults us and pounds us monotonously.  All the collectivist drivel is touted to be good for us.  Obamacare, gun control, drones etc are just what Dr Marx ordered as a prescription for tyranny.

We are treated as children who cannot make up our own minds.  Then again, collectivism insults humanity's intelligence.

One of the more subtle personal moments regarding this condescending attitude came years ago when the kids' Mom and I decided to send them to school outside our homeschool.  Particularly, we applied to Park Tudor a private school on Indianapolis' Northside.

Certainly our son and daughter were academically qualified.  High IQ, achievers etc were and are common refs for them.  Moneywise, we planned the tuition.

Yet, after interviews with them and us, the school declined us.

We were specifically told in the rejection letter that it was in their best interest (sic) NOT to attend Park Tudor.  Huh?

Snobbery had reared its bloated head.  Yes it's an exclusive school, chockfull of wealthy as in prominent parents' kids attending.  What possessed us to even apply in retrospect eludes me.  I grew up on the Northside and went to North Central HS.  Never cared for the pompous attitude at Park Tudor.  It was too 'fishbowl' or 'test tube'.  Isolated upper middle class and wealthy folks' kids mixing mostly with only their own element.

We agreed it was indeed in our best interest to go elsewhere.  We decided on a charter school for our daughter and his Mom's HS Alma Mater.  This worked out well and both kids excelled as usual.  No doubt they would have at PT, but they were exposed to lower income and inner city folks.  The ivory tower of the Northside would have given them a very skewed view of the world.

My Dad was well known for communicating/relating with almost anyone from anywhere.  This was evident in our children as well.  Their experiences gave them a broader base from which to work out and determine for themselves about people from many walks of life.

Thanks Park Tudor for the ridiculous but ultimately unintended consequence of declaring our kids persona non grata.  They will take their places as leaders and achievers where no snob cared to go before.

So they also determine for themselves what is for their own good.