'Tell me who is to blame ....'(Start video quickly for best effect.)

CHILD OF CLAY
Jimmie Rodgers

Into the darkness he was sent by parents

Who were ignorant hm, hm

Tied down to his mother's strings

Unable to be anything hm, hm

Puzzled by the things he hears

His questions fall on their deaf ears.

The father thinking work comes first

Ain't got the time to quench a thirst

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

 

Once he was a child, a beautiful child

A child of clay shaped and molded

Into what he is today

Tell me who is to blame for this child of clay

 

Going out into the street at night

The answers he may meet hm hm

With sick and twisted minds
He shares the searching questions

His heart bears hm hm

And from the dregs

The answers find their way into his supple mind

In time the planted seeds will grow

Into a twisted vine below

No, no, no, no, no, no, no,

No, no, no, no, no, no, no,

 

 

Once he was a child, a beautiful child

A child of clay shaped and molded

Into what he is today

Tell me who is to blame for this child of clay

 

 

And now his aimless days begin

To drift into sordid sin hm, hm

And soon his dislike turns to hate

As the stamp of life seals his fate hm, hm

and so the night conceals his name

And the days sleep off his shame

Deprived of love and wrought by fear

A feeling that the end is near

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

No, no, no, no, no, no, no,

 

Once he was a child, a beautiful child

A child of clay shaped and molded

Into what he is today

Tell me who is to blame for this child of clay

Jimmie Rodgers performed this poignant song on November 3, 1967 on the television program "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." In his lyrics, Rodgers described the challenges of America's youth and how, too often, they fall victim to the effects of conditions they do not bring upon themselves. Rodgers raised a haunting question:

"Tell me who is to blame, for this Child of Clay?"

The question remains, but the answer in many minds is that these problems - hunger, violence in the neighborhood, the distractions of the entertainment media and materialism, parents who are absent or uninvolved, fear and victimhood of far more varieties than existed for them back in 1967 - must be solved by our schools.

What do you think? Can the schools cure all the deficits? Are parents totally responsible? Can the policymakers actually make a difference, or are they just pandering to us all the time? Does it truly "take a village" to give our children a chance for the life we hope they all can enjoy? Take your time. There's no rush. Give us your best thinking below.

Thank you for your input. - Jim Broadway, Publisher, State School News Service

Causes * Chose the factors you believe cause today's children the most harm.
Failure of Schools
Failure of Parents
Failure of Policymakers
Failure of Society in General
Advertisers Targeting Children
Negative Media (Movies, Music, CATV)
Flawed Heroes (Sports Figures, Etc.)
Decline of Religion
Nature or Nurture? * Is a child's fate set at birth, or is each one a "Child of Clay"?
Environmental influences are dominant.
Genes determine what a child will become.
What learning outcomes mean: * Are report cards a window into the school, or a reflection of the community at large?
Student achievements tell us most about the quality of the school and educators.
Student achievements tell us more about the kid-friendly quality of the community.
E-mail Address: *
Other or comment:
Name (Optional)
County *
Attribution? (When SSNS quotes input from readers, we do not identify them except by county unless they indicate that they wish to be associated with their remarks. If you have given us your name and want to be identified in any future SSNS use of your comments - such as in the newsletter, in a future update or in another publication - please write "yes" in the field below. If you wish, you can also tell us something about yourself, such as whether you are a teacher, a parent, a social worker or in some other way have special standing to have an opinion in this matter. Also include a phone number where we can reach you to verify that you are the author of the comments.)
* Required