These past few weeks, our news and twitter feeds have been inundated with the school scandal/entrance scam. Parents going the “extra mile” to assure their child is guaranteed a seat in the most elite schools around the country.
This, my friend, is nothing NEW.
I think the most egregious detail is the “alleged fraud” that the parents engaged in to guarantee their child admittance into these elite schools. Superimposing your child’s image on an athletic snapshot, or having someone else take their ACTs and SATs is just simply criminal!
Yet, this type of behavior has been going on for DECADES.
Our family experienced a very small taste of what power and privilege can guarantee you! Our son was in third grade, and we wanted to switch him to another private elementary school that came highly recommended. He tested, and we interviewed, but unfortunately, our family was denied admittance. Our dear friend whose son attended this elementary school at the time asked how did we like the school, and we mentioned that our son was denied admission. Well, less than 24 hours later, I get a call from the President of the school congratulating us and saying that a seat has been made available for our son!
I just about fell out.
My husband and I decided that this was not the type of environment that we wanted our son to be a part of, and we declined the “seat.”
The hypocrisy behind this scandal is that we all have used some type of “influence” to get theatre tickets, dinner reservations, discounts of any kind.
It’s all about who you know!
It’s a conversation we must honestly address before we are quick to criticize the behavior of parents wanting their child to be given an unfair advantage.
We do it every day!!!
We live seeking, desiring, and lusting after the “best” for our lives and our families. We live coveting the “best” because we feel it validates our existence. It gives us an identity of influence and importance. And honestly, we kinda enjoy it. We live thinking that if we have this education, drive this car, live in this certain neighborhood, wear these types of brands that we will BE better, we will be ACCEPTED!
The unfortunate part of this type of thinking is that our society rewards this type of behavior.
THAT’S. THE. PROBLEM!
If we live this way, how do we expect our children to know any better? When we begin to accept the beauty of who we are, where we are and start giving of ourselves and creating a space that is beneficial for everyone, THEN these type of “scandals” should truly upset us.
But until we learn to live in truth, with integrity, we can’t expect any more of our society. It starts with us.
What do we place the most value on?
That is where your heart lives.
Lesson:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart (your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers) will be also. – Matthew 6:21 (Amplified Version)
-Annette Ortiz Mata