The point is: before we complain, we must invest in our children and their health and education.

If American children could speak for themselves, they would say that education and healthcare are of paramount importance in their lives.

If American children could vote, they would vote for people who cared about their education and health.

And since children are not Republicans or Democrats, they would vote for people who cared about their future — their education and health.

At present, both these subjects are in flux and no acceptable solutions seem to be under consideration by our government for the foreseeable future.

We can look back at the solution the Bush administration implemented in 2002 when the “No Child Left Behind” policy was implemented and teachers were instructed to promote students to the next grade whether they can do the work or not. Every student was passing. Our government solution!

We can look at the present administration’s policy on financial support for health care and school lunch programs and know that poor children are the most vulnerable and most affected by lack of proper nutrition and doctors’ care. For most poor — rural — children the meal they eat at school is the only healthy meal they eat every day.

The vaccine crisis is a different story!

The other side of this story is that Americans complain about foreigners/immigrants coming here and taking jobs away from young Americans. That is because our grade-school students are not as educated as the students from other countries.

Foreign students have a strong background in science, math and language skills. Our American students are not even cognizant of American history. Even our president may not be able to pass a test on American history.

This is the reason students from other countries come here and get to the head of the class. And we complain. And now we are cutting back on money for education and healthcare. They go together.

Our children are not concerned with politics. They are the future of this country. We can spend money on their education and health care and reap the benefits in the years ahead or face the consequences.

The consequences are that we will have to continue to import nurses, teachers, scientists, engineers, etc. Anyone in education knows that this is the reality of American education.

The staff in our colleges, universities and hospitals — mostly foreigners — prove that we need to put more emphasis on science classes in our education curriculum.

Furthermore, we have some of the best universities in the world and (1), our children are unable to gain entry because (a), they do not have the background in math and science, and (b) they do not have the money, and (2) foreign students fill our universities because they have the background and the money to gain entry.

Here are two facts to consider when we moan about foreigners stealing our children’s jobs. Rich people send their kids to private or foreign schools. China and India spend time and money on their children’s education.

In 1999 on a teaching assignment in Shanghai, one observed that children — three years old — were in ballet classes and kindergarten, plus playground exposure. In summer, older students were enrolled in advanced language and science classes, and teachers attended seminars for upgrading their skills. Teachers and students took additional classes in August if they chose to.

The point is: before we complain, we must invest in our children and their health and education.

The alternative is what we in the U.S. are witnessing and experiencing. If we want to stop importing foreign labor, then we must invest in our children now — the benefits will be ours to be proud of.

As politics permeates every walk of our lives, it is parents and grandparents who will have to take a stand and fight for the future of their children’s education and health.

No, kids cannot vote or argue for what is in their best interest. That is the parent’s job.

And the power of the parents is in the choices they make for their children on election day at the ballot box.

If children could speak, they would say, “Mom and dad, if you love us, you will vote for our health and education.”