Fighting for our future

Commentary by Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig

Whitney Houston and I are in agreement: We believe the children are our future.

Yeah, it’s cliché and has been heard around the world way too many times, and I’d be pressed to find someone who doesn’t believe the same. But what are we doing to show the phrase is more than just words?

Our economy continues to struggle, our country is still at war and the state’s jobless rate is close to an all-time high. We struggle to make ends meet and struggle harder to give our children a taste of what we adults had ourselves. But with every corner we turn it seems those in the state Capitol and several in Washington are forgetting what building a better future really means.

It is important to get our country — and state — on solid ground again, but should this be done at the expense of our youth?

I was happy to hear that on Friday Education Secretary Arne Duncan released nearly $4 billion in stimulus funds to California, making it the first state to benefit from a special fund for states. Although California initially said it could use the money to fill budget holes, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller and a congressional delegation pushed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to distribute the money directly to school districts.

Okay … that is a start. For too many years our schools have been cutting back in more and more areas and that is affecting what our kids learn and what they can take with them as they make their way through this big, bad world. But now I hear Oakland officials are considering another way to hit our young people where it hurts.

The East Oakland Street Outreach Team and other youth programs are facing elimination. Funded by a parcel tax, a few of the bright lights in our communities may soon be distinguished. And what say our leaders?

“This program is certainly worth funding,” said Councilman Larry Reid during a public meeting on Monday night. “But I’m only one of eight people ….”

Wow. To me, this sounds like resignation … not words to fight for what is right.

I’m of the belief that all it takes is one person — pushing hard and speaking loud enough — to create change in this world. And providing our children with what we had — in school, at home and at play — is a future we can bank on.

Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig is an award-winning journalist who resides in Oakland. If you have an individual, organization, issue or other topic that may be of interest to the Globe’s readers, contact her at talk2mfc@yahoo.com. Visit her blog at www.stpminute.blogspot .com.