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The following is an excerpt from a Sept. 7, 1995 editorial by Jo Ann Sloan for the Livingston Ledger, a Livingston County weekly in western Kentucky.

On the first day of school, parents of second-grade students at Smithland Elementary received a list of supplies their children must provide. I was more concerned by the letter that preceded the list. Here is the first paragraph:

“We will be using the community supply system (my ital.) where children are allowed to use all available supplies from the community supply box on their table. Please do not put your child’s name on any of their supplies since they will be used by many of the children.”

It is hard to explain my reaction. I suppose it is best described as anger and fright. Anger that a socialist system of handling a child’s school supplies would be introduced into schools; and fright that American citizens have become so complacent about democracy that such a system could even be contemplated. The “community supply system” mandated by second-grade teachers reeks of socialism.

[D]emocracy and capitalism may not make for a perfect society, but history should have taught us they work better than anything else we humans have come up with. Our children should not be forced to participate in anything that will undermine those principals [sic].

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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