For those who may be venturing out on the highways leading to or from the path around the Falls this week, word from the Wisconsin DOT is that travel will be a bit easier, since most construction projects are shut down for the week. Even so, the orange cones will remain. The shutdown was scheduled in anticipation of additional travelers with destinations to celebrate the Fourth of July.
When the Fourth lands mid-week, many families take advantage with extended time away from home. Perhaps some will do that traveling in rural areas to gauge the height of the corn crop. While the season got off to a late start, recent heat and moisture will push many stalks to the “knee high by the Fourth of July” benchmark.
The holiday commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The upstart British colonists said they had enough and were going to start their own country. It was a grand plan that was not without many bumps in the road, but in the end, it was a success story.
The Founding Fathers knew that to have a successful democracy, having an educated electorate was critical. They knew education and democracy are very closely tied. Depriving people of education was one tool used by dictators to maintain control. There were and still are many cultures where women were not allowed to be educated because they were and are considered to be second-class citizens and need to be kept in their proper place.
Historically, when slavery was considered an acceptable practice in some parts of the country, there were laws against teaching the slaves to read. Again, this was a control tool. Education was associated with freedom.
Today, some people may have lost the vision of education as a building block in fostering a democracy. Some argue that the purpose of education is to equip young people with the skills to be productive workers. Employability skills are important, but having the knowledge to be participating citizens is the foundation of our democracy.
Celebration of the Fourth of July as Independence Day is about not only breaking away from King George but also about a commitment to democracy, a concept sometimes lost in the shuffle.
There are a couple of other connections between the celebration of the Fourth and education. The Oconto Falls School District has an extensive summer school program. Most classes are of short duration and scattered throughout the summer, beginning the Monday after the regular school term shuts down. One cardinal rule for that schedule is that no classes are offered during the week of the Fourth of July. Doing so offers families a conflict-free time to do some traveling. In addition, this is the week that the district technology network is shut down for a number of upgrades. Without the network, several aspects of the summer school program could not operate.
Another education connection with the celebration of the Fourth is much less obvious. Even though there may not be any road construction this week because of the heavy traffic, law enforcement officials will be out in full force, ensuring safety and compliance with the law.
As always during those periods of heavy traffic, one of the regulations given special attention is the speed limit. Some drivers have the tendency to hurry and push the limit. Even this observer has found himself in that state of mind a time or two. One of the consequences for gas pedal exuberance can be flashing lights and an ensuing conversation with a uniformed law enforcement officer.
Almost without fail, regardless of the persuasive content of that conversation, the result is an invitation to visit the court system or make a contribution to the clerk of court in the respective county. Some might have the mistaken impression that those funds might be used as a donation toward the construction of the new Oconto County Law Enforcement Center, but that is not the case.
The majority of those contributions go into the Wisconsin Common School Fund. Each year proceeds from that fund are distributed to schools for library books and related materials. This year just over $30 million was distributed. For the Oconto Falls District this amounted to $60,561, which was put to good use.
Drivers this week who have the misfortune to get a speeding ticket can take some consolation that part of that fine will end up providing reading materials in our schools. We thank those who will contribute.
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