Newt Gingrich: an ethical vacuum - Oliver Twist Returns

Newt Gingrich defends his child education plan for poor children. Newt Gingrich stated he felt poor children grew up to be unemployed because they had no role models. Newt said the kids grew up in poverty because their parents had no jobs and the kids never learned what it was to go to work everyday. Newt said the poor kids needed to learn a work ethic and what it meant to go to work everyday. With this goal in mind, Newt Gingrich proposed that poor kids be put to work cleaning the floors and cleaning the bathrooms at schools...oh yeah, and painting the building.. HUH!!!!!
When the news media asked Newt if he was serious, Newt said he was. He said people are poor because they don't work, so the kids never see people going to work everyday and, hence, do not have a work ethic.
Newt is far out f touch with poor America? Poor is defined as people whose incomes fall below the US poverty level. There are many people who are employed, yet are poor. These are the working poor. They are only able to get hired to lower paying jobs. So, they go to work regularly, but barely make enough to pay their bills. For various reasons, they are stuck in poor neighborhoods. Often these people are younger adults, especially those with kids, and older adults who are disabled, ill or aged out of the job marketplace.
Children in the US are protected from hazardous material exposure which includes feces, and chemicals. Kids are also allotted shortened work days, so they can experience childhood. As an American citizen, I have some of my earned money taken every year by the government to get kids into schools daily and teach them about life and work. If the schools are not working, tear them down and send the kids elsewhere.
There are people who are poor financially, but are not poor in social conditions. So, many poor children grow up in great families and have the benefit of a healthy supportive environment. Newt did not grow up in poverty, but he was sodomized by a pedophile teacher as a youth, who he later married and with whom he fathered two children. Most would say Newt led a life of poverty in that he lived in a pedophile-based relationship for about 25 years and never learned regular American ethics, morals and mores.

Child Suicide?

Our schools must do a much better job in monitoring and screening students for mental health disorders and suicidal ideation. I was struck by a story from Milwaukee, Wisconsin yesterday where a 10-year-old boy was found unresponsive and the media reported it appeared "the child took his own life."
Hopefully, the coroner's office will find evidence of what happened. This is so sad and I will follow-up on any additional information that may be disclosed. Our children are suffering and we can help. We must do better and ensure that the kids are getting help.
I hope this is not another case of child abuse or bullying.