ABSTRACT
Character education is not about desperation or panic. It is not a last resort or the proverbial finger plugging the leak in the dike. It is not a tourniquet or a last chance. It is an eternal human obligation and endeavor. And it is certainly not a short-term goal or quick fix. Being the best selves means caring about the future and in being part of making a better future more possible and real. Conservative means to conserve, to preserve, and keep as it is. It is focus on what is and tries to protect that. Sometimes that is a focus on appreciating and preserving what is good in the world, and at other times it is inertia toward avoiding change. Progressivism, on other hand, focuses more on what could be better and then tries to make the world move in that direction. Of course, there is much that deserves preserving, so this is a matter of orientation and degree.
