Eight Glue Sticks? or Why Communism Will Fail in America

I had to go and buy school supplies for my 5-year-old son today. As I was walking down the aisle picking up items and reviewing my supply list, I was stunned to see the request for eight glue sticks. Upon further examination, the list also was equipped with directions not to label supplies for my son as they would be put into a pool for community use.

Now having taught grade school for many years myself, I reflected back and could not think of a single occurrence of a student complaining that he or she had used the glue stick up by the end of the year. Unless kindergartners have some dietary needs I was heretofore unaware of, eight seems like an inordinately high number!

This led me to ponder how else these glue sticks may be used. Could it be that parents are accounting for the disadvantaged students whose parents can’t afford a dollar for a glue stick or two? Even though I live in a community where virtually everyone has cabins up north, boats, and hunting land, as well as Packer tickets, I was willing to consider that as the reason. So presuming a child could use two glue sticks a year, I was purchasing two for my own child and six more to cover three other children—meaning a poverty level of 75%. Still fairly unlikely.

Could it be that the possibility exists that some will refuse to purchase glue sticks even though it would not be outside of their means? Certainly everyone wants to do their fair share! Certainly nobody would intentionally live off the system—or would they? Is this abuse built in inherently because there is no repercussion or incentive to provide their own glue sticks when the community at large will do it for them?

Though that may account for some of the problem, perhaps the problem could also be waste. Could the fact that glue sticks are not individually owned, but corporately--‘free’ to each individual, if you will, that the tiniest bit of irresponsibility in distribution and usage will creep in? In the long run, would it be better to teach children personal responsibility that comes with ownership rather than living off the system? And to teach those managing the system that, guess what? There is not an unlimited supply of glue sticks to tap into! At some point, dutiful glue stick purchasers will stand up and say, “Enough is enough! You can get by on a more reasonable allotment of glue sticks than what you are hitting me up for! We want accountability in glue stick use. Where are they all going?”

Whatever it may be—redistribution of glue sticks to those who can’t or won’t purchase their own, poor allocation of glue sticks by classroom management, you name it—two things are certain in my mind. One, those who are diligent and responsible will carry the system despite how it affects their own means and lifestyle until they reach a breaking point. Two, when enough is enough, those that believe in glue stick redistribution will accuse the providers of being ‘greedy’ for not sharing the wealth.

But hey, what’s the big deal? After all, it’s just a few glue sticks.