Honoring our students

As I sat during the Hy-Noon Kiwanis meeting Monday noon, I looked at the honor students from Storm Lake and St. Mary’s who were being recognized for their achievements, and I couldn’t help but think back more than 60 years when I was one of those fresh-faced kids.

When I was one of those kids In the 1960s, the Kiwanis met at the former Ken-A-Bob Buffet on Flindt Drive, now the site of Sichanh Asian Market. It was a treat to get out of school for a few hours, even if we had to listen to old fogies sing their raucous versions of “We’re from Ioway” and “Smile.” Some things never change. Those two songs are still sung today, off-key but boisterous as ever.

Kiwanians singing before eating was certainly something the kids laughed about as they recounted their day to families and friends later. It left an impression on me as a teenager.

Our Storm Lake students, with family roots in distant lands all over the globe, joined the Kiwanians in singing our National Anthem, and Pledged their Allegiance to the Flag, hands over their hearts.

Afterwards, many of these polite young men and women thanked the Kiwanis members for inviting them. Their good manners show they’ve been raised right.

It was really gratifying to me, especially in light of current politics. Yeah, everything is political these days. Zach Lahn, who is running in the Republican primary for governor, is on TV now with ads grousing that schools are teaching students to hate America, and when he’s governor, he’ll change all that. Lahn’s been spending too much time on the Dark Web. He needs to get out in the sunlight.

I would challenge Lahn to find one school in Iowa — or for that matter, one school in the United States — that is teaching students to hate America. It’s a lie. If he had seen our Storm Lake students, he’d know better. He’d know we’re in pretty good hands if we old farts would just get out of the way and let these bright young men and women lead this nation.

Some of our politicians don’t have half as much honor as our Storm Lake students.