Political Quotes

“I am proud to join Senator Domenici in sponsoring the 1998 Character Counts Week resolution. As an original member of the Character Counts Coalition here in the United States Senate, it has been my honor to cosponsor Character Counts Week every year since 1994. In the past we learned the Golden Rule and were taught how to act by our parents and teachers or at Sunday School, and the community helped reinforce acceptable conduct. Today, because there are so many who don't have a chance to grow up in that kind of environment, we must develop alternative ways of teaching and learning how to behave in a free society. Former United States Deputy Under Secretary of Education, Dr. Peter R. Greer, wrote an article, called ``Teaching Virtue,'' published in Education Week, February 4, 1998. In his article, he describes his experiences in developing effective curriculum for teaching ethics and character in kindergarten through grade twelve. He found that one of the most troublesome aspects for teachers to overcome was their reluctance to identify right and wrong. He also found that teaching virtues had to be a school-wide and a community-wide commitment. The Character Counts! Coalition began as an effort to put values education at the top of the national agenda. The values are called ``Pillars of Character,'' and they are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.”