Second in Command

   

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.   -First Timothy 2:1-4

  I am enjoying my job teaching 5th grade at Calvary Christian Academy.  A few weeks ago, one of my students made a comment that got my mind working overtime.  

     "It must be so easy being Vice-President.  You just follow the President around and wait for him to die so you can have a job, and if he doesn't, you just get to hang out in Washington, DC!"  I realized that I needed to correct this misconception.  Being the Vice-President is a real job.  A very hard job.  Sometimes, a very thankless one.  

     I put a lot of thought into this.  Including current Vice-President Mike Pence, there are six living Vice-Presidents.  Some, I have a very high opinion of and agree with.  Others, I do not.  However, all of them have done (or are currently doing) a very difficult job for our country, and deserve respect if nothing else.  People who accuse any President or Vice-President of simply being "stupid" are completely wrong.  

  

   

     I have twelve students in my class.  What if I were to place them in groups of two, and have them each do a report on one of these men?  That is exactly what I have done.

     We are currently working on major history fair projects, so I plan to start this project in March, due in early April.  However, I knew one aspect of it needed to be taken care of as soon as possible.  I had each group write a letter to their chosen Vice-President.  They did that today.  I wanted to give them plenty of time to respond (if they do) so that the students can use the return letter in their reports.

     Doing this took a lot of planning and research on my part beforehand, including tracking down mailing addresses for former Vice-Presidents.  They're not exactly listed in my local phone book with poison control and the police department.  I also had to try to find out the respectful way to address a former Vice-President who is now a private citizen.  I learned that, unlike Presidents, who may still be called "Mr. President" after leaving office, Vice-Presidents do not take that title with them.  Rather, they should be addressed by the highest office they held prior to the Vice-Presidency.  Did you know that?  I didn't.  This meant Dick Cheney would be Mr. Cheney, while Walter Mondale, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, and Joe Biden would all be addressed as Senator.   So much to learn!  

     Having found all this out, I came up with a form letter for my students to follow.  The first paragraph in each was virtually identical:  "We are in 5th grade at Calvary Christian Academy.  We have been placed in groups to write reports about Vice Presidents.  We are learning about what the Vice President does.  We chose you for our report."  

     The next paragraph was blank.  I had each team come over and tell me what they wanted to ask their Vice-President.  Some questions, I tried to steer them away from.  We eventually came up with some good letters.  I printed out the letters and had the kids sign them.  

     I was really proud that each group wanted to include the question, "Are you a Christian" in their letter.  I told them that probably all of these men would say "yes" to this question.  I told them that personally, I have read the salvation experiences of both Dan Quayle and Mike Pence.  The rest, I explained, I'm truly not certain of.  I was proud my students cared about their relationships with the Lord.  I didn't have them include that question in their letters, because, as I said, I believe their answer would simply be "yes" either way, and I wanted them to focus on the role of Vice-President.  Perhaps that was wrong of me.  Maybe that would have been my students' witness.  We did identify our Christian school, and were extremely respectful (we closed each letter with "Thank you for serving our country!"  Before their signatures, we put "Most Respectfully,".  Still, perhaps it would have been good for me to let the kids actually ask if they were Christians.

     Some of the things the kids said and wanted to say were sweet and funny.  For example...

     The group writing to Mike Pence asked him if he got into traffic jams on his way home from the White House every night.  They explained that we have bad traffic in Albuquerque.  They asked if other people on the freeway recognized him as the Vice-President and tried it honk and wave at him.  They also told him our class is praying for him and President Trump.  I thought that was a nice touch (and it is the truth, too)

     The group writing to Al Gore asked him what he does for fun.  They also asked him what he thought the most interesting thing was that happened when he was Vice President.  I thought this was a good question, and of course let them keep it in (I just hope that if he writes back, he doesn't say the Monica Lewinsky scandal!)  

     The group writing to Walter Mondale wanted to ask him how much gas used to cost back then (I told them that he was the only Vice-President I didn't remember out of all of them, so I guess they assumed it was really far back!).  I encouraged them to keep it more general (the man's in his 90's!).

     I think the funniest thing was the group writing to Dan Quayle.  They had specifically requested him, because they're sort of on a George H.W. Bush kick (since he passed so recently, and I had also told my students he was President when I was their age).  One of the boys on the team wanted to ask Quayle, "How was it working with George H.W. Bush?"  His partner immediately stopped him.  "You shouldn't mention him!  Dan Quayle probably misses him now that he's dead, and that question might make him cry."  I had to stifle laughter at this, trying to imagine Dan Quayle opening their letter and bursting into inconsolable tears.  But their concern was very sweet.  I told them that the question was appropriate and they could keep it in.  

     I mailed these letters at the Post Office after work.  I think it would be really great if they wrote back to the kids.  I think it was a great thing for the kids to do this.  I look forward to eventually hearing what these students come up with in their reports.  I'm certain they'll never underestimate the Vice-Presidency again!