Our readers write

Maddox: A vote
for education
To The Editor:
As a young citizen and voter, the welfare of our West Tennessee community is a subject that I take very seriously. My roots in Carroll County run deep, as does my passion for the place that I call home. I know there are many folks out there that feel the same way and wish to see progress here on the home front. We may live in the “country,” but that does not hold true in its entirety. Whether one realizes it or not, our West Tennessean society is in competition with the rest of the world. That is a very daunting statement that my generation, older generations and fledgling generations have come, or will come, to understand very clearly.
As in any competition, the ones who possess the most “skills” become the victors. What Carroll County, Obion County and Weakley County need most are educated people who can compete with the rest of the world. The more educated our people become the more lucrative our area is for industry, businesses, and jobs. Education is the key to unlocking a prosperous future here in West Tennessee. Our schools, post-secondary institutions of higher education, and teachers deserve our support, for they are passers of the key unto the young minds of our community. Education frees those who want it and gain it, and it gives hope to those who have none.
As a voter who looks not at the party but at the candidate and his or her beliefs, I choose the one who believes more strongly in education. Bolstering education on the local level begins with our state representatives here in District 76. Both Andy Holt and Mark Maddox are great citizens, fathers, and community leaders, but one’s record demonstrates more emphasis on education than the other. Mark Maddox openly supports education as he is an educator himself in the Weakley County School System. I feel like Mark knows what our schools need most, and he will do what he can to maximize learning within the budget allotted to public schools. Mark has always voted pro-education and will continue to do so. Andy Holt says he will vote pro-education, but his record goes against his statement.
When you go to cast your vote, think about your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or future children and the benefits they can reap from having an education. As John F. Kennedy once said, “Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.”
I encourage young voters to take advantage of their vote and be active citizens! Vote for education! Vote for Mark Maddox and let our voice be heard in Nashville.
Ben Rollins
McKenzie

Published in The WCP 11.1.12

Print