Pearland sixth-graders turn activists
PEARLAND ‚Äö√Ñ√Æ A ban on smoking in public places that was drafted by a sixth-grade science class will go to the voters in November. The students from Sablatura Middle School, most of them 12 years old, said they were disappointed that the City Council didn’t adopt their proposed ordinance Monday night, but they resolved to campaign for it until the November election. By then, they will be seventh-graders at Pearland Junior High West.
I often fear for our future, given what I see in today’s children. That fear is, I suppose, has been around as long as there have been adults and children. Nothing new there, eh? Now I have a recent to celebrate, because the future seems just a little bit brighter. A sixth-grade class in Pearland wants to change our world, so they’ve done what a lot of adults wouldn’t think to do. They drafted a proposed ordinance that would ban smoking in public places, they took it to the Pearland City Council, and guess what? Their ordinance will be on the November ballot in Pearland.
While some of the students are not excited about having to wait seven more months to be protected from having to breathe second-hand smoke, most of them are now realizing that the CAN make a difference. These students did their homework, and they did the leg work necessary to get their proposed ordinance before the City Council. These children should be applauded for taking matters into their own hands and working to change their world. Not many adults would do what they’ve done, and yet they’ve succeeded in learning how to work within our democratic system to bring about change.
Hopefully, their public smoking ban will pass in November. People’s right to breathe clean, un-tobaccofied air should have the force of law. The right to breathe clean air is a basic, immutable reality (memo to those of you who would argue with my logic: save your energy). The sixth-graders from Sablatura Middle School in Pearland should be applauded for taking positive steps to address what they view as a serious problem. What better way for them to learn that democracy can work, but it can and does sometimes take a lot of hard work?
“I look at it as a win,” said Savannah Owen. “It will just take a little longer this way.”
But, said a disappointed Mitchell Hoffman, “Now I have to breathe in smoke for seven more months.”
He and the others pledged to make signs and campaign for approval of the ordinance.
“It was kind of fun,” Beth Shecterle said about drafting the ordinance and getting enough voter signatures to put it on the ballot. “We would meet at each other’s houses to work on it.”
Her mother, April Shecterle, said she was proud of the students and impressed by their dedication.
“I guess this means I’ll be working on the campaign, too,” she shrugged with a smile.
Council members said they were impressed with the students but thought something this important should be decided by the voters.
“It was very professional,” said Councilwoman Helen Beckman.
City Attorney Darrin Coker said the proposed ordinance may have to be changed slightly to comply with other laws. He also said he was impressed with the students’ work.
As am I. I truly hope that their proposed ordinance will be approved by Pearland voters in November. The citizens and children of Pearland deserve to have their right to breathe clean air to have the force of law. Thanks to David Bean’s sixth-grade science class at Sablatura Middle School, it just might.
