I was an insider for about forty weeks but that was a long time ago, and I’d have to stretch my brain to find myself an insider since I was born. Wait, maybe I was an insider when I was a Boy Scout leader. A watermelon seed is an insider, I guess, but it must give up its status to achieve its purpose. Oh phooey, I give up. Where’s the dictionary?

Insider: a person recognized or accepted as a member of a group, category, or organization as a person who is in position of power or has access to confidential information.

The next question is whether I or somebody else is the insider to be discussed. Who has more influence on society than anyone else? The answer must be those who teach future generations. Could that be parents? I recall each of my children at some time coming home from school and reporting a brilliant new idea learned from the teacher. The truth is that the same idea had been discussed at home for several months. So much for eating supper together, but thankfully all of parents’ words didn’t fall on deaf ears.

It must be that teachers are the insiders I want to discuss. Do teachers fit the definition of insider? Teachers are accepted as members of a category of persons in position of power. They are in a position of power to shape the minds of children.

I believe that teachers have a greater influence on children than do parents in the long run. Teachers have many if not most students for twelve years and some for four more years of college. They learn many things that will affect society. Consider the ridiculous notion of man-made global warming, same-sex marriage and a host of moral changes in the wind. Such ideas are taught by only a few teachers. It doesn’t take many to propagate ideas to young minds.

I believe that all teachers are insiders. The great majority is prohibited from teaching moral values as they once did and so they apparently remain quiet rather than teach moral values for fear of showing Christian religious bias. Even the insiders have restrictions.