People ask me all the time why I consider myself a conservative. I can actually answer that easily in just two words: personal responsibility. There is a group of dads in Louisiana who are a wonderful example of just what I mean.
A Shreveport, Louisiana, high school experienced three violent days in which 23 students were arrested for fighting in school. Watching the videos of the fights made my heart ache for those children. Why are these children so angry that they lash out in violence? How can children possibly learn in that kind of environment? Apparently a group of dads were thinking the same things and launched into action.
Some concerned dads from Southwood High School stepped up and formed Dads on Duty, a group of about 40 dads who volunteer to take shifts spending time in the hallways of the high school. They greet students in the morning and strive to maintain a positive atmosphere in the school all day. Their goal is to promote an affirming environment for learning instead of fighting. The dads do this by giving students “the look,” perhaps a stern warning, and telling plenty of dad jokes. One student told CBS reporters: “They just make funny jokes like, ‘Oh, hey, your shoe is untied,’ but it’s really not untied.”
