Skipping School

I served my community for 20 years as a career firefighter and paramedic. I also served 10 years on active duty in the Marine Corps and 16 years in the Navy Reserves as a corpsman, with deployments to three major conflicts and numerous humanitarian missions around the world. I have a great deal of real-world experience.

Like everything in life, success requires a solid foundation. Whether we are talking about a house, a family, an education, or a future, nothing lasts without one. For all my education and experience, I credit my parents who supported and guided me toward learning and responsibility on a very modest budget.

I am a strong believer in the American Dream. Hard work, dedication, and determination still allow most people to achieve their goals. That is why I was troubled by the March 2026 issue of the Key Peninsula News, specifically the first two columns on page 4 titled “Education Can Wait, Human Rights Can’t” and “What Justifies Skipping School?” Both appear to justify skipping school in order to protest, yet nowhere do they encourage education as the higher priority.

Without education, there is chaos. Everything in our society is built on education — math, science, language, and critical thinking, just to name a few. When we compare ourselves to second and third-world countries, what truly sets us apart is education.

The First Amendment guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. But is the use of profanity on protest signs truly peaceful or constructive? If such language is acceptable, why is it not printed in schools or in the newspaper itself? The answer is simple: it is unacceptable in both our society and our education system.

I do not agree with all of our laws, but I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and those laws. Regarding concerns about human rights, I encourage anyone to travel abroad. You will quickly see that Americans often go far beyond others in providing help and aid. However, our ability to do so rests on a strong foundation of law and education.

I respectfully encourage the newspaper to consider including a more neutral or balanced perspective in future opinion pieces. Education must remain our priority, especially if we hope to preserve the values and stability of this country.