Motives are important

Dear Editor:

Motive is a very important part of judging the merits of an issue. Both sides of an issue always have a motive.

The Obama Administration, The CCSSO, The NGA, Achieve and Bill Gates all have claimed their motive is getting children college and career ready and able to work successfully to compete for jobs in the future. They have invested a great deal of our own taxpayer funds as well as their own personal wealth promoting these standards. They have invested a great deal of time in making sure these standards are touted as the best plan for America to be competitive in the global 21st century economy. Many have also earned a healthy income in the process of selling these standards to more than 45 states as well. The textbook companies and testing companies have also reaped financial gains. Two of the testing companies, PARCC and Smarter Balance, were paid with taxpayer funds from the federal government. And whoever controls the test controls the curriculum…

Parents and taxpayers against Common Core Standards are a grassroots group whose motive is to improve the quality of education in S.C. too while focusing on protecting the rights of parents to direct their child’s education. We too have spent hours upon hours of time researching evidence on how these standards are NOT in the best interest of S.C. children. We have not earned a healthy income in the process of fighting these standards’ implementation with every breath we have. Our motive is love of children. We want the best educational standards possible for them regardless of money or our time spent. We have spent countless time researching and developing strategies to expose the dangers hidden behind this road to a national curriculum.

The key issue here is similar to the one King Solomon had to judge. Two opposing sides with a child’s future in the balance was indeed an issue that would require wisdom. King Solomon had two women who stood before him claiming to be the child’s rightful mother. Each mother had a motive. One’s motive was her child was dead and she wanted a replacement, the other’s motive was she wanted the child because she loved the child and knew the child was a blessing from God given to her to direct its upbringing. In King Solomon’s wisdom, he devised a test to prove whose motives were true and who had the child’s best interest in heart. His test was to announce he would just cut the child in half and give each mother their half. The truth became evident when the true mother of the child yelled ‘No! Just give the child to her!,’ as she could not bear to see her child die at the hand of a sword. King Solomon immediately knew her motives were pure of heart. And thus gave the child over to the true loving mother.

Whether to stop or not stop Common Core Standards is in S.C. legislators’  hands. It is their duty to judge pure of heart motives. Senate Bill 300 is in the Senate Education Committee now, and they have a job to judge motives over who will control S.C. children’s education. Are they going to choose the motives of the special interest groups and the federal government, or are they going to choose the motives of the rightful parents in this argument? I don’t think we need to hold up a child and declare we are going to cut this child in half. I think if they look deep in their heart they will see that parents truly have children’s best interest at heart and are pure of heart in their motives. Parents are asking our leaders to stop the implementation of these standards. Keeping them in place will cause further damage to S.C. children. Stop them now … don’t “wait and see” what happens. Trust parents — we have no money to gain from this fight — the other side does. The Bible tells us the love of money is the root of all evil. Take the time to look at the motives behind the “I Love Common Core” people. If you do, it will become clear it is all about money spent, and money to be gained by the standards staying in place … it is NOT a pure of heart interest … how could it be? The baby in King Solomon’s Court didn’t have to have a DNA test to prove who the real mother was — it came down to judging based on evidence of motive. And King Solomon was a wise ruler. Are you wise enough to know who is pure of heart? Please write the SC Senate Education Committee members and tell them to be wise!

Johnnelle Raines

Upstate Regional Leader,

SC Parents Involved in Education

Pickens