Making Sense by Michael Reagan

A federal judge has ruled that John Hinckley Jr., the mentally disturbed man who tried to assassinate my father 35 years ago, will be set free in about a week.

Many people, including members of my own family, think it’s a terrible injustice that Hinckley, now 61, will be allowed to leave the mental hospital and live permanently with his elderly mother in Virginia.

I don’t.

Before I explain, I’d like to remind people of what my father said and did in the days following the events of March 30, 1981.

When I walked into his hospital room the next day and saw my wounded father, the first thing he said to me, after “Good morning,” was “Michael, if you’re ever going to be shot, don’t be wearing a new suit.”

What? I thought to myself.

“Well, yesterday I was shot.”

“I know, father. I know.”

“Well, I was wearing a brand new suit I had just picked up the day before. And I’m telling you, if you’re going to get shot don’t be wearing a new suit.

“When I was on the gurney they cut that suit off me and the last time I saw it it was in shreds in the corner of my hospital room. That’s what they do. They cut it off you.”

My father was only half done with his story.

“That young man who shot me, John Hinckley Jr., I understand his parents are in the oil biz.”

“Yes they are, Dad.”

“I understand they live in Denver.”

“Yes they do, Dad.

“Do you think they have any money?”

“Dad,” I said, “they are in the oil business and live in Denver. Of course they have money.”

My dad looked at me and said, “Well, do you think they’d buy me a new suit?”

Humor was my dad’s way of making strangers feel comfortable in his presence. He was the same way with his family.

Before my father was well enough to go back to the White House he did something completely serious. He said he had forgiven Hinckley.

Not only that, he wanted to go to meet Hinckley face-to-face and tell him that he had forgiven him.

Hinckley’s doctors didn’t think that was a good idea because Hinckley was too mentally unstable, so it never happened.

But it proves, as I always like to say, that my father didn’t just recite “The Lord’s Prayer,” he lived it.

A lot of people can’t forgive Hinckley even today.

They were shocked in 1981 when he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and they were angry when they found out he’d become eligible for release some day.

Because of Hinckley, the laws were changed. Today if you shoot at the president you stay in prison for life, no matter how crazy you are.

Over the years all of us in the families hurt by Hinckley have watched the courts and doctors slowly but surely release him through the mental health system.

Hinckley’s not a threat to my family or anyone else’s. But he’s not totally free and never will be.

He may not have bars to look through, but he has his own type of jail. People will be watching him all the time. So will the Secret Service.

At first I was very upset and angry when Hinckley got off on the insanity defense. How could a person shoot the president of the United States and be allowed to ever have any freedom at all?

Fifteen years ago I was still angry. But 15 years later I want to be more like my father and have a forgiving heart, not an angry heart.

So at the same time John Hinckley has been set free, maybe I have been too.

The first day of the school in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation is quickly approaching and to help parents get ready, we have compiled a list of important need-to-know information. All the information below can be found online by visiting www.evscschools.com and clicking on “Back to School.” For specific information related to individual schools, parents can visit school websites at www.evscschools.com/schoolname. A Back to School folder can be found under “Parents” on each school website.

Enrollment

Enrollment in the EVSC officially begins Monday, August 1, for the 2016-2017 school year. Students who have never enrolled in the EVSC or who are transferring from another EVSC school, need to enroll at his/her new school before the first day of school.

To enroll, parents/guardians must be present and will need to present a legal birth certificate. Students enrolling in kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before August 1.

Enrollment times for this year are:
August 1: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

August 2: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

August 3 –9 (Monday – Friday): 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

High school enrollment is by appointment only. Please call your student’s school to schedule an appointment.

School Hours
Elementary schools: 8:15 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.
K-8, Middle and High schools: 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

AIS-Diamond Campus: 7:55 a.m. – 1:55 p.m.
AIS-First Avenue Campus: 8 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.

Bus Transportation
Students needing bus transportation for the 2016-2017 school year should receive a postcard in the mail from the Office of Transportation that includes the student’s morning pick up bus number, pick up time and pick up location, if applicable. It also will include the student’s afternoon bus number, drop off time and drop off location.

Parents who have questions after receiving the postcard should call 812-435-1BUS (1287).

Free/Reduced Lunch Applications
Again this year, families wishing to apply for free/reduced lunch and textbooks can do so online which will help speed up the process. To apply online, families should go to www.evscschools.com/family_services and click on “Food and Nutrition,” then “Free & Reduced Lunch.”

Extended Daycare Applications

Students needing before and/or after-school care can do so through EVSC’s Extended Day Centers. Our Centers are open at 6 a.m. for before school care and again afterschool until 6 p.m. Applications are now available by going to www.evscschools.com/family_services and clicking on “Extended Day Centers.”

Dress for Success Uniform Policy

A number of EVSC schools have enhanced dress code policies that are designed to keep students focused on classroom activities and make it easier for families to provide school clothing. To see a list of schools and the policy, visit www.evscschools.com/family_services. 

Textbook Rental and Rates

Textbook invoices are distributed to elementary and middle school families during the first week of school and to high school families in late August/early September.  For more information on textbook rental and rates, visit www.evscschools.com/about_us, then click on “Learning Tools & Resources,” then “Rental Rates & Fees.”

The  recount has been underway for two weeks now, and we have been steadily chipping away at our ballot shortfall. With 9 counties behind us, we expect two more weeks of counting in the remaining 10 counties, which accounted for more than 60 percent of the total vote. To this point, we’re finding errors at a sufficient rate to ultimately turn the race around, and we’ll have a better sense of things next week. We resume counting on Monday in Evansville (Vanderburgh County), which had 23 percent of the overall vote in the primary. We’re grateful for the many hours of hard work by our awesome recount volunteers and by the dedicated auditors from the Indiana State Board of Accounts who are conducting the recount. And thank you so much for your support and patience too.  We’ll continue to keep you posted as the process unfolds.