Advanced Fatherhood 002 • Do Not Allow The Government To Parent Your Children • DV University • Spring 2011

Dear Mr. Vesey,

DV Jr. has told me that you disagree with the Revere detention policy and that you will not allow him to serve his detention.  I sent you a memo explaining his detentions on April 18.  He tells me that you refuse to sign it.

The Revere Student Handbook states: the consumption of gum and candy is prohibited in all areas of the school building.  Because he was chewing gum in class, DV Jr. has to serve detention for one hour after school.  This is standard school policy.

The Revere Student Handbook states: Three tardies will result in a detention. 

DV Jr. was late to school four times, so he has to serve detention for one hour after school.  This is standard school policy.  When this detention was assigned, DV Jr. failed to report.  He did not discuss this with me in advance.  So he has an additional detention for skipping the first detention.

DV Jr.  needs to serve three detentions:  for gum, for tardiness, and for skipping detention.  Detention is on Tuesdays and Thursdays.   Please inform me of the dates he will serve.

Thank you,

M. Rainey

Paul Revere Middle School

Dear Ms. Rainey,

DV Jr. is correct.  I will not allow him to serve detention.  Not because I 'disagree with the Revere policy', but because I do not believe detention is an effective tool to achieve the results we want from DV Jr.  I believe detention, like its cousin - incarceration, is a poor method of rehabilitation.

DV Jr. is a member of a prestigious junior golf program.  He is scheduled to compete in a series of tournaments this spring and summer.  Because of his tardiness and violation of school rules regarding the chewing of gum in class I have decided to remove DV Jr. from the program.  He will not be allowed to participate until his mother and I receive some sort of indication DV Jr. is abiding by school rules and conducting himself in an honorable manner consistent with what his family expects of him.

Please understand this is no attempt to shield DV Jr. from the consequences of his actions.  Exclusion from this program will have a far more profound impact on his conduct than 3 hours of detention. 

Thank you,

Denmark Vesey
Father
 Dana111  said ...
I really like this post.  

Parents who allow the government to punish their children will also allow the government to raise their children, feed their children, entertain their children, and send their children off to war.

The responsibility lies with parents to make sure that children do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing, not because of some outside impersonal and imperialistic influence. 
.