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School Board Journal
November / December 1995
January / February 1996

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Would you like to live in Mayberry?
By Peter Weber

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In the famous 1960's sitcom, Mayberry was intended to be representative of the typical small town. For most people, the innocence and simplicity of a community like Mayberry is as anachronistic as the black and white medium that made the "Andy Griffith Show" a television classic.

Children in Mayberry played almost carefree. Their only real fear was being caught by an adult doing something wrong, because inevitably that adult would tell their parents. One memorable half-hour show dealt with Opie's guilt over throwing rocks with a group of friends and breaking a light bulb in a street lamp. Opie struggled over whether to admit to his father his role in the vandalism because he knew that he would have to name his accomplices. He feared that the other kids would be angry with him if he told and would consider him a yellow-belly squealer. When Opie finally decided to tell the truth, he learned that all the other kids had been enduring the same moral debate and fear of isolation from the group. They were all relieved to be able to admit to their parents their participation in the town's great crime.

Oh for the innocence! It's tough to imagine such a small incident being worthy of a half-hour television show today. Pre-teen children are dealing with peer pressure to experiment with alcohol and drugs, engage in sexual relations, and fear for their physical safety in what should be one of the safest places in their community school.

History is replete with examples of civilizations and governments that existed in fear of other nations who threatened war and conquest. In the United States today, we have the distinction of fearing our own neighbors more than we fear any foreign power. Innovators have made fortunes by developing new and better security measures to protect homes and automobiles. Parents fear deviants might snatch their children as they walk home from school or expose them to explicit sexual material when they log onto a computer bulletin board.

Is there hope for those of us who want our children raised in a safe, caring community like Mayberry? There are signs that people across the country are gathering their resources to fight for freedom from fear, crime and moral turpitude. Hundreds of thousands of black men recently came to Washington, D.C. to share in a new dream. Regardless of the intentions of some of the organizers, the participants clearly expressed the need for personal responsibility. Like Martin Luther King before them, they came to our nation's Capitol to express their desire for something better.

In Detroit, thousands of citizens volunteered to patrol the streets on "Devil's Night" to prevent the outbreak of arson fires that has long been the haunting signature of Halloween Eve in the city. It was said that you couldn't walk a city block without running into a city employee or citizen volunteer who had taken on the responsibility to protect their community and its people from dangerous vandals. The efforts of the citizens of Detroit were not wasted the incidence of arson in Detroit was down 80 percent from the previous year. Similar reports came from Camden, New Jersey, and countless other cities and towns where people have finally said "enough!"

What this country needs is people who are concerned about their neighbors' welfare. I don't want my neighbors peeking in my windows to see what I'm wearing to bed, but I pray that they are keeping an eye on my children when I'm not close by. We need parents who are willing to turn the TV off for a few hours in order to spend constructive time with their children talking about their interests, activities, hopes and worries. We need people to get involved in the community.

As the founders of our country intended, people should volunteer their service to organizations in their neighborhoods, cities and counties. There is no better opportunity to express ourselves in a democratic government and contribute to the betterment of the world we will leave to our children.

Mayberry is a town not too far away. Regardless of whether you live in a small rural town or a large city, there is hope that the benefits of living in a town like Mayberry can be realized. If personal responsibility and civic concern catch on, we can all live in towns where each adult looks out for each child as their own, and where communities work together to promote a better way of life and bravely stand up to anyone who wants to do the community harm.

Peter Weber is IASB assistant executive director for governmental relations.