The Choice Channel

One of the first, and only positive, things that happened to me when I moved across country from Tennessee to California was encountering a History teacher who will always go down in my memory as the best. He displayed everything we hope and pray a teacher will be…disciplinarian, scholar, friend but, most of all, teacher. He had a new idea every month to engage the minds and energy of adolescents that kept us on his side and striving to not only please him but also challenge him. He loved a good fight!

An issue arose in the community about some old, historic trees that lined the main avenue of our town. My History teacher threw the question out one day in class. The trees were very old and beginning to create something of a nuisance to traffic and business. The City Council was considering having them removed. While I didn’t personally have the nostalgia attached to them that some of my classmates did, I could see the importance of preserving the history of the town and the planting of the trees. The debate ensued. As only ninth graders can do, we unanimously agreed that the trees must be preserved at any cost! Our teacher began to teach us how to address the City Council.

He said that if that was our position, we should write a letter to the council stating our position on the matter and sign it “Ninth Grade Students of Mr. ______”. He said we should pick our best writer in the class to compose the letter, then attach the signatures of all the students who wished to be included and make sure a copy of it went, not only to the mayor’s office, but to every councilman as well. He told us this was a necessary part of making sure our voice was heard. He said we should send it certified mail. (Right about now I bet you’re thinking he offered to pay for the postage. Nope. He said we had to put nickels and pennies in a jar for a week to pay for it. Had to be sure where our dedication lay.) We did it.

Imagine this, if you will, an unnamed source leaked the story to the press. Next thing you know we were front-page in our local newspaper. “NINTH GRADE CLASS DEFIES CITY HALL!” Well we got an immediate response from the city government. A councilwoman (the only woman on city council at the time) was dispatched to our classroom to tell us the positive reasons why the trees had to go in favor of urban renewal. She told us that her reasoning should be “food for thought”. We listened, politely, and asked questions, politely, at all times directed by our teacher. (She was a very vindictive and sarcastic woman!) When she had gone, our teacher told us that the next step to save the trees was to file for petition and then get our little butts out all over town and get signatures. This is an experience, and for those of you who have never done it, I urge you to try someday if a passion strikes you.

I placed myself in front of the local super-market (brother watching from car at mom’s insistence) and ran into all manner of constituency. It was not all bad, most people looked on me as a child who cared about trees and that’s all. Some asked me to explain my position and why (not too many) and some just told me to get lost. I, and most of my classmates, gathered an overwhelming number of signatures. Mysteriously, it was leaked to the press. “CHILDREN CONTINUE FIGHT FOR TREES! COMMUNITY AGREES!”

Next, the Mayor of our town came to our classroom. He brought the press with him. He shook hands with my teacher and they all smiled while the press photographers took pictures. Next day’s headline, “TEACHER ADMITS HISTORY LESSON GONE TOO FAR”.

My teacher used us. He waffled…but he taught us. The trees are gone, but I am not.

Juanita Ramirez is associate editor for Liberty For All. Contact Juanita at Kitaro1866@aol.com.