During our visit today I want you to know that I have some fantastic news to share with you and all other readers across the nation. As you may know, over the past couple of years I have been developing a “Character Education” course to be taught in our nation’s schools. The reason is because I am terribly concerned about the future that awaits my children and grandchildren if we do not put a stop to the massive amount of violence that is taking place all across our country. Just yesterday, as I was writing this, we had a shooting on the campus of Michigan State University where a lone gunman killed three students and wounded several others. Events like these are in the news every day. 

I predict, and I will tell you why at the end of the column, that the year 2023 will be a “breakout year” when it comes to the success of our course. When you undertake to solve a problem as massive as this one, it takes a long time to build a solid foundation that will create awareness and support among the people who can do something about it. For me, it all came about when our local County Judge, Jim Baker, wrote the Preface for my latest book “Your Future Begins Today.” When I went to pick it up, he said, “This book will change the culture.” 

This book was written from an era when we did not have the kind of violence that we have today. The book by itself would make a difference if enough people read it, but that is not the way we can solve most of our problems. We must have a “curriculum” and teach it as a course in our nation’s schools. I looked around for help but found none, and then one day my wife Janis suggested, “Why don’t you write the curriculum since you know more about it than anyone else.” I have done just that and am very pleased with it. My approach is simple, and it definitely can be done, but must have the support of the right people to get it started.

We must begin when our children are in pre-school to teach them respect, manners, and to develop a great vocabulary, as this is the key to becoming a terrific reader. That is a winning formula — young children who are taught character values and vocabulary and reading skills as the foundation for their education at home and at school. There are a multitude of things we are not teaching children in school today, such as to not shoot themselves in the foot, to love America, to respect other people and their rights, how to maximize their potential, how to make a commitment to stay in school and graduate, obey the law, how to set and reach goals, how to form good habits, to be a giver and not a taker, to be responsible for themselves, honor and respect those of the opposite sex, to become lifetime readers, to open a long-term savings account, and much, much more.

While there are other things around there is nothing on the planet like this course. I have sent a preview book and a set of the curriculum to every governor in the nation. It only takes a few of the “right” people to get started. When a school district has a book for every certified teacher and the course is taught by great teachers, we will WIN! The reason I feel so strongly about this is that I have asked God to help me, and I believe He will. We’ll see that 2023 will be a “Breakout Year.”

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(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)