In the world, we currently rank 35th in Math, and 29th in Science. This in itself is a tragedy, not only for the generation young people we are unleashing into the American electorate, but for the Nation as a whole. I will come to how I think this has happened in a moment, but I would first like to address the subject near and dear to my heart, Social Studies.
I am Certified Social Studies Teacher in the State of New Jersey. I hail from a long line of past, present, and future, public school elementary, and secondary school teachers, and administrators. The recent study known as the Nation's Report card, an assessment of students knowledge of the historical development of democracy, culture, technology, and America's role in world affairs. In this study less than a quarter are scoring at or above the proficient level, according to a report released on Tuesday. The results of the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed just 20 percent of fourth graders, 17 percent of eighth graders, and 12 percent of twelfth graders were performing at or above the proficient level.
As products of the Oklahoma State Public School system, I am sorry to say that my own daughters have trouble with basic historical facts, current events, or the basic workings of our government. This makes me absolutely mental, and to make matters worse they resist any efforts to change this. The life altering skill of rapid texting, coupled with the useless distraction of social media have replaced our children's interest in any subject, let alone History. Telling eight friends what you had for lunch has become more important than finding the United States on a map. Furthermore take this to the bank, of the 12% of High School Seniors listed above, only 9% could identify a picture of Abraham Lincoln.
We are raising a generation of morons, that increasingly struggle to adapt to college life. They are disengaged from the political process, don't have the faintest clue whats on the news, in a paper or magazine. They watch bulldogs on skateboards on YouTube and think it's cute, but have no idea we are involved in 3 conflicts overseas, and don't care. Politicians love ignorant constituencies because they can feed people lies, and the people don't know the difference. Does this outline what you would consider a danger for our Country? I hope so.
Finally, why is this happening? Despite all the rhetoric by both parties about the importance of education, when the slightest monetary struggle comes down the pipe, the first place to get funding cuts is education. No one teaches to get rich. People teach because they love what they do, and hope that what they teach helps their students to grow and develop into something better than they started with. We reward this with poor pay, by attacking their unions, by not giving them the resources they need to do their jobs. Ask any teacher worth their salt, and they will tell you they spend a lot of their own money trying to make their classrooms better. Medicare and Social Security are entitlements given to those who have helped shape our past. Shouldn't Education be the entitlement we give our children to shape the future? I think so.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Republican Debate Showed A Party Trapped By Ideology And Failed Policies.
If you were one of my readers who happened to eat dinner before watching the debate, I'm sure like me it became a wasted meal about 10 minutes into the debate. Where do I begin? The 7 dwarfs squared off last night in a very painful to watch 2 hour melee, that was riddled with misinformation, and wanting for solutions to the very problems they so vigorously offered. The topics varied, but were quantified like this:
The Affordable Health Care Act (ie: Obamacare)was conceived by the Devil and must be repealed like yesterday. Add universal acceptance of Rep. Paul Ryan's destruction of Medicare and the denying of access to hospitals by illegal immigrants and you get a picture that looks something like this. Instead of Medicare you will get a voucher that goes to the insurance company. As of TODAY this voucher is about $6,000 short of what is needed for 70+ year old American citizens to buy coverage, you will pick up the tab for the rest. Pre-existing conditions will once again allow health insurance companies to deny coverage. Arbitrary monetary ceilings will go back in place, so if your catastrophic illness goes above say $1 Million dollars, your out on the street. The ability to keep your children on your health insurance until age 26 will go away. Free preventive care for people, especially our seniors will end. If you are here illegally and your child needs medical attention. sorry your not a citizen, please take your child to bleed outside, we need the room. I think this is what they call compassionate conservatism?
We are taxed to much on everything, and in every area. They continue to cling to the failed policy of trickle down economics, which has not worked for over 30 years, yet they hold onto it like the Arc of the Covenant. The only difference is that along with the Ten Commandments, Ronald Reagan is in there too. They want to cut so many taxes I'm beginning to wonder how they think the States and the Federal Government are supposed to function without all these revenues? Herman Cain suggested cutting the Capital Gains tax to zero for five years to stimulate businesses. This would cost the Government 80 Billion dollars in revenue! Where is that coming from? So much for the businessman in the race.
No one deserves to be bailed out by the government no matter how critical they may be to the Nation Economy. A perfect example, the auto industry. I assure you by the time they got done bashing the UAW, and spitting on the bailout that saved the industry, they didn't win many friends in Michigan last night. Despite that, there was one glaring exception to their bailout positions and that was Wall Street. The very economic policies they touted last night were a direct result of the meltdown on Wall Street. No regulation, No oversight, Greed run rampant, and they still had the balls to tell people this is the way it needs to be to create jobs, and people stand up and cheer? Really? But lets not stop there, Michelle Bachmann called the EPA the "Job Killing Administration" Who needs clean air, water, and food? All this with a new strain of E-Coli sweeping across Europe. I guess a quick wash in the sink should be enough for that spinach? We have plenty of Clean Coal (which is the biggest oxymoron in the American vernacular these days) Many areas are fighting over fresh water now, lets make it so industry can pollute that to the point we have no water left? After all industry, business, money, that's what's important.
Not once did you hear anyone talk about the middle class last night, not once! Why? because what they are offering is not FOR the middle class. Hell, Mitt Romney before a TV break asserted that private enterprise should take care of disaster victims like those in Missouri and Louisiana. Helping our own people in a disaster is not the job of the Federal Government, the States and private enterprise should do that? WHAT!? This is what they have to offer. I'll finish with a one word summery of each candidate as I witnessed last night:
Mitt Romney - Slippery
Tim Pawlenty - Weak
Michelle Bachmann - Surprise
Rick Santorum - Sneaky
Ron Paul - Predictable
Newt Gingrich - McCarthyism
Herman Cain - Parrot
Take your pick people the sky's the limit.
The Affordable Health Care Act (ie: Obamacare)was conceived by the Devil and must be repealed like yesterday. Add universal acceptance of Rep. Paul Ryan's destruction of Medicare and the denying of access to hospitals by illegal immigrants and you get a picture that looks something like this. Instead of Medicare you will get a voucher that goes to the insurance company. As of TODAY this voucher is about $6,000 short of what is needed for 70+ year old American citizens to buy coverage, you will pick up the tab for the rest. Pre-existing conditions will once again allow health insurance companies to deny coverage. Arbitrary monetary ceilings will go back in place, so if your catastrophic illness goes above say $1 Million dollars, your out on the street. The ability to keep your children on your health insurance until age 26 will go away. Free preventive care for people, especially our seniors will end. If you are here illegally and your child needs medical attention. sorry your not a citizen, please take your child to bleed outside, we need the room. I think this is what they call compassionate conservatism?
We are taxed to much on everything, and in every area. They continue to cling to the failed policy of trickle down economics, which has not worked for over 30 years, yet they hold onto it like the Arc of the Covenant. The only difference is that along with the Ten Commandments, Ronald Reagan is in there too. They want to cut so many taxes I'm beginning to wonder how they think the States and the Federal Government are supposed to function without all these revenues? Herman Cain suggested cutting the Capital Gains tax to zero for five years to stimulate businesses. This would cost the Government 80 Billion dollars in revenue! Where is that coming from? So much for the businessman in the race.
No one deserves to be bailed out by the government no matter how critical they may be to the Nation Economy. A perfect example, the auto industry. I assure you by the time they got done bashing the UAW, and spitting on the bailout that saved the industry, they didn't win many friends in Michigan last night. Despite that, there was one glaring exception to their bailout positions and that was Wall Street. The very economic policies they touted last night were a direct result of the meltdown on Wall Street. No regulation, No oversight, Greed run rampant, and they still had the balls to tell people this is the way it needs to be to create jobs, and people stand up and cheer? Really? But lets not stop there, Michelle Bachmann called the EPA the "Job Killing Administration" Who needs clean air, water, and food? All this with a new strain of E-Coli sweeping across Europe. I guess a quick wash in the sink should be enough for that spinach? We have plenty of Clean Coal (which is the biggest oxymoron in the American vernacular these days) Many areas are fighting over fresh water now, lets make it so industry can pollute that to the point we have no water left? After all industry, business, money, that's what's important.
Not once did you hear anyone talk about the middle class last night, not once! Why? because what they are offering is not FOR the middle class. Hell, Mitt Romney before a TV break asserted that private enterprise should take care of disaster victims like those in Missouri and Louisiana. Helping our own people in a disaster is not the job of the Federal Government, the States and private enterprise should do that? WHAT!? This is what they have to offer. I'll finish with a one word summery of each candidate as I witnessed last night:
Mitt Romney - Slippery
Tim Pawlenty - Weak
Michelle Bachmann - Surprise
Rick Santorum - Sneaky
Ron Paul - Predictable
Newt Gingrich - McCarthyism
Herman Cain - Parrot
Take your pick people the sky's the limit.
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