There are some crimes that never cease to amaze. This past week in Kansas, a man was found guilty of a particularly shocking murder. Last May, Scott Roeder killed a doctor. While sad, that was not the shocking part. According to the New York Times, Dr. George Tiller was a doctor that performed late-term abortions. Doctors who provide abortions have been killed before, although troubling, not the amazing part either. The truly amazing part of the story is that Roeder put a gun to Tiller’s head and executed him… IN A CHURCH!
The murder was premeditated and planned out over a period of years dating back to 1993. Roeder testified that he became familiar with Dr. Tiller’s movements and precautions. Roeder also stated that he previously had gone to the church Dr. Tiller attended with a loaded gun. Roeder felt that he was on a mission to protect babies from being murdered by Tiller. “I did what I thought was needed to be done to protect the children. I shot him,” he testified, adding at another point, “If I didn’t do it, the babies were going to die the next day.” (NYTimes.com, Jan 28, 2010) Apparently, Roeder also considered other ways of fulfilling his “mission” including chopping off Dr. Tiller’s hands with a sword. Many pro-life groups condemned Roeder’s actions, but there are some on the far right who feel that it’s acceptable to kill abortion doctors.
The pro-life forces unite behind the banner of Christianity. They object to all abortion as murder. While there is no point in entering a debate about when life begins since I am neither a scientist nor a doctor, it is important to engage in a discussion of the proper role of religion in politics and law. What the religious right fails to understand is that this is NOT a Christian nation. The United States is and has always been a multicultural society. From the Indians who were native to the land, to the Africans who were ripped from their land and forced here, to the first Jewish settlers, to all the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and many other religious groups represented here, the US is truly the Melting Pot. Americans come in every shape, size, color, religion, and even political ideology. There needs to be a genuine respect and acceptance in this country for people who do not look the same, speak the same, or worship the same way that the majority chooses.
To call someone a hypocrite for violating the very tenants of the religion they claim to be serving is to point out the obvious. It is fairly obvious that killing violates the “Thou Shalt Not Murder” commandment in the 10 Commandments. There are no footnotes or asterisks in the 10 Commandments or the Bible (Old Testament) that make exceptions in the case of saving the unborn.
Beyond the hypocrisy and twisted beliefs of those who kill abortion doctors and fire bomb clinics or choose other violent extremes, it is a violation of the law. While this issue may not be a typical “separation of church and state” issue, in the abstract it can viewed in the same way. In this country, people are free to worship as they choose. On the other side, while religious groups may not agree with the moral implications of certain laws, they need to accept the decisions of individuals who choose to exercise their freedoms. One person’s liberty begins where another person’s liberty ends. You don’t have to like it or agree with it, but you need to accept it.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
How Much Pain Can One People Endure?
How Much Pain Can One People Endure?
I’m sure that there is a lot of space in the blogosphere being dedicated to the brothers and sisters living in Haiti. Even If you are not Haitian, or if you don’t know anyone who lives in Haiti or has relatives there, you cannot help but feel a little piece of your heart has been ripped out of your chest. Seeing news footage of a child receiving stitches without Novocain or litacain or any other numbing agent is distressing. Seeing a 12 year old girl trapped under rubble and hearing her wailing and praying to God are just too much to take. The cries of children in pain are too much for any parent.
I cannot imagine living in one of the poorest places in the hemisphere. I cannot imagine having a government that is corrupt and stealing from people who live at the base level of existence. I cannot imagine living in a place where the government cannot protect me or my family from harm.
Haiti, according to the CIA World Fact Book, was the first Black republic to declare independence in 1804. Haiti has been independent for 200 years and has become the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Just over half the population is literate. The life expectancy there is about 61 years old. The infant mortality rate is approximately 60 per 1000 live births. These statistical indicators show Haiti to be a “developing” country. By comparison, the infant mortality rate in the United States is approximately 6 per 1000 live births. So, that means that 10 times as many babies die at birth in Haiti as they do just north in United States. Our life expectancy is 78 years old. These statistics are SHOCKING!
If ever there was a moral imperative to help people, this earthquake has brought it to light. We cannot stand idly by and watch neighbors, humans, live in these conditions. It is an absolute disgrace that we have not succeeded in alleviating the suffering in Haiti even prior to the earthquake that has devastated an already distressed society. It’s time for the United States to use its power to help other nations. We cannot call ourselves the beacon of freedom in the world if we allow people in our backyard to live under these conditions. I wish I had the type of job where I could afford to take time off so that I could go to Haiti to help rebuild. I don’t, so what I am doing instead is organizing fundraisers. I am also reaching out to all the high schools in Richmond to join Thomas Jefferson High School in raising money for Doctors Without Borders. Doctors Without Borders is an international aid organization that is sending doctors to Haiti along with desperately needed medicine and medical supplies. Please be generous and support this worthy cause or any other that will aid the Haitian people. We can make a difference in the lives of millions just with some generosity.
Step up! Be a part of the World Community! Show that you care about humanity! Step up!
I’m sure that there is a lot of space in the blogosphere being dedicated to the brothers and sisters living in Haiti. Even If you are not Haitian, or if you don’t know anyone who lives in Haiti or has relatives there, you cannot help but feel a little piece of your heart has been ripped out of your chest. Seeing news footage of a child receiving stitches without Novocain or litacain or any other numbing agent is distressing. Seeing a 12 year old girl trapped under rubble and hearing her wailing and praying to God are just too much to take. The cries of children in pain are too much for any parent.
I cannot imagine living in one of the poorest places in the hemisphere. I cannot imagine having a government that is corrupt and stealing from people who live at the base level of existence. I cannot imagine living in a place where the government cannot protect me or my family from harm.
Haiti, according to the CIA World Fact Book, was the first Black republic to declare independence in 1804. Haiti has been independent for 200 years and has become the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Just over half the population is literate. The life expectancy there is about 61 years old. The infant mortality rate is approximately 60 per 1000 live births. These statistical indicators show Haiti to be a “developing” country. By comparison, the infant mortality rate in the United States is approximately 6 per 1000 live births. So, that means that 10 times as many babies die at birth in Haiti as they do just north in United States. Our life expectancy is 78 years old. These statistics are SHOCKING!
If ever there was a moral imperative to help people, this earthquake has brought it to light. We cannot stand idly by and watch neighbors, humans, live in these conditions. It is an absolute disgrace that we have not succeeded in alleviating the suffering in Haiti even prior to the earthquake that has devastated an already distressed society. It’s time for the United States to use its power to help other nations. We cannot call ourselves the beacon of freedom in the world if we allow people in our backyard to live under these conditions. I wish I had the type of job where I could afford to take time off so that I could go to Haiti to help rebuild. I don’t, so what I am doing instead is organizing fundraisers. I am also reaching out to all the high schools in Richmond to join Thomas Jefferson High School in raising money for Doctors Without Borders. Doctors Without Borders is an international aid organization that is sending doctors to Haiti along with desperately needed medicine and medical supplies. Please be generous and support this worthy cause or any other that will aid the Haitian people. We can make a difference in the lives of millions just with some generosity.
Step up! Be a part of the World Community! Show that you care about humanity! Step up!
Monday, January 11, 2010
I remember Trent Lott, and you sir are no Trent Lott!
I remember Trent Lott, and you sir are no Trent Lott!
Poor old Harry Reid (D-NV)! One of the most powerful men in the United States and still such an ignoramus… If you don’t know, Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, made some “ill advised” statements about President Obama during the campaign. In what was intended to be a positive assessment of then Senator Obama, Reid made the following statements, “calling then-presidential candidate Barack Obama ‘light-skinned’ and ‘with no Negro dialect’ in private conversations during the campaign.” (Huffington Post) The Republicans jumped right on this story in order to put pressure on the Reid to resign. After all, it was only a few years ago when Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott was forced to step down after praising Senator Strom Thurmond for running for President as a segregationist in 1948. Lott’s comments were made at the 100th birthday party for Thurmond and essentially said that had Strom won back then, we wouldn’t have all these problems we have now. Presumably, Lott was saying that the problems we have are either Black people or caused by Black people.
First, Democrats are correct in pointing out that these two statements by old White men in the Washington DC power structure are not the same. Lott made a statement praising someone who ran on platform of hatred toward Black people. Reid on the other hand thought he was saying something nice about Barak Obama. Is there moral equivalence between what many would call a blatantly racist statement versus an ignorantly racist statement? I don’t know that Reid had any idea what he was saying was racially insensitive and would show him to be a very simple person. Both are ignorant statements from ignorant men. But, one was said with malice, the other said with positivity and good intentions. If you argue, as the Republican Party has tried, that Reid’s statements are as bad as Lott’s and therefore the Majority Leader should step down; you are wrong. There is no moral equivalence here.
Second, the story here is not the tale that is being told. The real story is that you have a Democrat in the modern age that has no understanding of a key constituency. The African American community has been one of the most loyal members of the Democratic Party. How could the most powerful Democrat in the Legislative Branch be so ignorant of Black people? Harry Reid has tremendous power by virtue of his position in the Senate to affect which bills become laws. I cannot imagine how it is a positive development for democracy, for the Democratic Party, or for the United States to give someone who is ignorant the power to impact so much of the citizenry. This is the real reason why the old fella needs to step down in embarrassment.
Harry Reid’s inability to compliment Obama as a good looking and charismatic politician who is also a great orator is the story. How can you rise to the top of the political power structure and have no command over the English language? That is probably a dumb question being asked of citizens who not only elected President Bush , who on his best day was one of the worst orators ever in the Oval Office, but reelected him!
If the story persists, which is what the Republican Party hopes, Reid will have to go, regardless of the fact that the President took the moral high ground and accepted his apology. Reid cannot become a political liability to the Democrats. Besides, it’s time to give Chuck Schumer a shot in the top spot! And besides, if you were really offended by Harry Reid’s comments, wait until you hear what former President Clinton had to say about President Obama! I don’t think Clinton will be referred to as the “First Black President” anymore. In fact, I think Clinton exposed himself as what he really is…
Poor old Harry Reid (D-NV)! One of the most powerful men in the United States and still such an ignoramus… If you don’t know, Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, made some “ill advised” statements about President Obama during the campaign. In what was intended to be a positive assessment of then Senator Obama, Reid made the following statements, “calling then-presidential candidate Barack Obama ‘light-skinned’ and ‘with no Negro dialect’ in private conversations during the campaign.” (Huffington Post) The Republicans jumped right on this story in order to put pressure on the Reid to resign. After all, it was only a few years ago when Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott was forced to step down after praising Senator Strom Thurmond for running for President as a segregationist in 1948. Lott’s comments were made at the 100th birthday party for Thurmond and essentially said that had Strom won back then, we wouldn’t have all these problems we have now. Presumably, Lott was saying that the problems we have are either Black people or caused by Black people.
First, Democrats are correct in pointing out that these two statements by old White men in the Washington DC power structure are not the same. Lott made a statement praising someone who ran on platform of hatred toward Black people. Reid on the other hand thought he was saying something nice about Barak Obama. Is there moral equivalence between what many would call a blatantly racist statement versus an ignorantly racist statement? I don’t know that Reid had any idea what he was saying was racially insensitive and would show him to be a very simple person. Both are ignorant statements from ignorant men. But, one was said with malice, the other said with positivity and good intentions. If you argue, as the Republican Party has tried, that Reid’s statements are as bad as Lott’s and therefore the Majority Leader should step down; you are wrong. There is no moral equivalence here.
Second, the story here is not the tale that is being told. The real story is that you have a Democrat in the modern age that has no understanding of a key constituency. The African American community has been one of the most loyal members of the Democratic Party. How could the most powerful Democrat in the Legislative Branch be so ignorant of Black people? Harry Reid has tremendous power by virtue of his position in the Senate to affect which bills become laws. I cannot imagine how it is a positive development for democracy, for the Democratic Party, or for the United States to give someone who is ignorant the power to impact so much of the citizenry. This is the real reason why the old fella needs to step down in embarrassment.
Harry Reid’s inability to compliment Obama as a good looking and charismatic politician who is also a great orator is the story. How can you rise to the top of the political power structure and have no command over the English language? That is probably a dumb question being asked of citizens who not only elected President Bush , who on his best day was one of the worst orators ever in the Oval Office, but reelected him!
If the story persists, which is what the Republican Party hopes, Reid will have to go, regardless of the fact that the President took the moral high ground and accepted his apology. Reid cannot become a political liability to the Democrats. Besides, it’s time to give Chuck Schumer a shot in the top spot! And besides, if you were really offended by Harry Reid’s comments, wait until you hear what former President Clinton had to say about President Obama! I don’t think Clinton will be referred to as the “First Black President” anymore. In fact, I think Clinton exposed himself as what he really is…
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Brit Hume the Missionary
I was trolling the internet for news the other day in order to triangulate some semblance of “truth.” Nothing really struck me as interesting in the New York Times. So, I clicked over to the Washington Post, and… BINGO! The Post online edition had an article discussing a Fox News Anchor on a Sunday “news” program discussing the Tiger Woods situation.
As an aside to my real point, this story has become the biggest piece of non-news since the balloon-boy hoax. Tiger Woods cheating on his wife is not news; it is tabloid fodder. Tiger Woods being a degenerate has no impact on anyone’s life. He has been exposed as a liar and cheater, and while it may have been shocking when first reported, it is not news. But I digress…
Anyhow, the “news” anchor, Brit Hume, felt it appropriate to inject his thoughts on Tiger Woods’ infidelity and the need for forgiveness. Hume actually had the gal to suggest that Tiger Woods should change his religion from Buddhism to Christianity. "I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith." (Washington Post) This situation is problematic on many different levels.
First, suggesting that someone change their faith in order to gain forgiveness is disrespectful. Religion is a private matter. The suggestion that one faith is better or more advantageous than another is ignorant. Insulting other faiths show Hume to be small minded. Had he suggested on television that someone Jewish switch their faith, there certainly would be a movement to have him removed from the network for being offensive and insensitive. Fortunately for Hume, Buddhists in America number a whopping 2,000,000 (estimate) and don’t appear to have that much pull.
Second, at what point can Fox News no longer be considered news? Commenting on an individual’s religious preference and urging them to change it has no place in news programming, not even an editorial comment period. Either he was echoing the sentiments of Fox News or the network should issue a statement distancing itself from Hume’s statements. If Fox News wants to be the “news” channel for Christians, that’s fine. I’m sure the 700 Club could use the competition so that they can “up their game.” Pushing political ideology at the expense of unbiased news is bad enough, but when a news program encourages religion or religious conversion it has clearly stepped far beyond the line.
Third, seeking forgiveness for infidelity is not a public issue. Tiger Woods may or may not be seeking forgiveness. He may or may not be seeking forgiveness from his wife and/or a higher power. That is a personal issue for him to deal with. And the presumption that if you become Christian it is easier to earn forgiveness is not a selling point of faith.
As an aside to my real point, this story has become the biggest piece of non-news since the balloon-boy hoax. Tiger Woods cheating on his wife is not news; it is tabloid fodder. Tiger Woods being a degenerate has no impact on anyone’s life. He has been exposed as a liar and cheater, and while it may have been shocking when first reported, it is not news. But I digress…
Anyhow, the “news” anchor, Brit Hume, felt it appropriate to inject his thoughts on Tiger Woods’ infidelity and the need for forgiveness. Hume actually had the gal to suggest that Tiger Woods should change his religion from Buddhism to Christianity. "I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith." (Washington Post) This situation is problematic on many different levels.
First, suggesting that someone change their faith in order to gain forgiveness is disrespectful. Religion is a private matter. The suggestion that one faith is better or more advantageous than another is ignorant. Insulting other faiths show Hume to be small minded. Had he suggested on television that someone Jewish switch their faith, there certainly would be a movement to have him removed from the network for being offensive and insensitive. Fortunately for Hume, Buddhists in America number a whopping 2,000,000 (estimate) and don’t appear to have that much pull.
Second, at what point can Fox News no longer be considered news? Commenting on an individual’s religious preference and urging them to change it has no place in news programming, not even an editorial comment period. Either he was echoing the sentiments of Fox News or the network should issue a statement distancing itself from Hume’s statements. If Fox News wants to be the “news” channel for Christians, that’s fine. I’m sure the 700 Club could use the competition so that they can “up their game.” Pushing political ideology at the expense of unbiased news is bad enough, but when a news program encourages religion or religious conversion it has clearly stepped far beyond the line.
Third, seeking forgiveness for infidelity is not a public issue. Tiger Woods may or may not be seeking forgiveness. He may or may not be seeking forgiveness from his wife and/or a higher power. That is a personal issue for him to deal with. And the presumption that if you become Christian it is easier to earn forgiveness is not a selling point of faith.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Freedom of the Press
The Death of Media
I recognize that all things change and grow with time. I also know that time also allows decay and atrophy to set in. The media is a shell of its former self and is dying before our eyes. The unfortunate byproduct of the death of media is the vacuum of information that is has left in its wake. Why is it important to have news and where do we get it from?
In past generations, the media linked people to the government. The media was a watchdog and kept an eye on the government in the peoples’ interest. The media relished the opportunity to dig and find truth. Once the media became a corporate interest, it was no longer about presenting the news of the day to people. The media no longer cares about educating or informing citizens. The moment that “host” replaced “anchor”, the role of media shifted from news to infotainment. The News, which used to be one of the most important shows on the original three networks, is now about entertaining the audience and achieving ratings. In some cases the news is wholly about ideology so every story is skewed left or right.
One of the most laughable catch phrases of the last decade or so has been Fox News with “Fair and Balanced”… Many of the hosts on Fox are neither fair nor do they deliver the information in a balanced way. Fox News is pushing ideology. Bill O’Reilly, Hannity, and the rest of the cast or characters are clearly advocates for a conservative ideology. On the left, carrying the liberal message are the arrogant stylings of Keith Olberman and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. Channels are now pumping out ideology in place of real news.
I don’t care about Tiger Woods, his smashed up SUV, how many social climbers, porn stars, or others that he slept with. Tiger Woods is a degenerate and a lousy father and husband, but he does not warrant “news” coverage. If anything, a message across the bottom of the screen is sufficient. People didn’t even know that the President was making a prime time address last week from West Point about widening the war in Afghanistan. On the other hand, people know the name of the newest woman to come forward about sleeping with Tiger Woods. If you buy the Vietnam War parallels, and there are many, then this foreign policy decision can have major implications on a reelection bid. It was a one day story.
The 24 hour news cycle has destroyed one of the most important of American institutions- the free press. The press is no longer free if it’s been bought and paid for by corporate America. News is no longer about fact; it’s about spinning a truth.
I recognize that all things change and grow with time. I also know that time also allows decay and atrophy to set in. The media is a shell of its former self and is dying before our eyes. The unfortunate byproduct of the death of media is the vacuum of information that is has left in its wake. Why is it important to have news and where do we get it from?
In past generations, the media linked people to the government. The media was a watchdog and kept an eye on the government in the peoples’ interest. The media relished the opportunity to dig and find truth. Once the media became a corporate interest, it was no longer about presenting the news of the day to people. The media no longer cares about educating or informing citizens. The moment that “host” replaced “anchor”, the role of media shifted from news to infotainment. The News, which used to be one of the most important shows on the original three networks, is now about entertaining the audience and achieving ratings. In some cases the news is wholly about ideology so every story is skewed left or right.
One of the most laughable catch phrases of the last decade or so has been Fox News with “Fair and Balanced”… Many of the hosts on Fox are neither fair nor do they deliver the information in a balanced way. Fox News is pushing ideology. Bill O’Reilly, Hannity, and the rest of the cast or characters are clearly advocates for a conservative ideology. On the left, carrying the liberal message are the arrogant stylings of Keith Olberman and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. Channels are now pumping out ideology in place of real news.
I don’t care about Tiger Woods, his smashed up SUV, how many social climbers, porn stars, or others that he slept with. Tiger Woods is a degenerate and a lousy father and husband, but he does not warrant “news” coverage. If anything, a message across the bottom of the screen is sufficient. People didn’t even know that the President was making a prime time address last week from West Point about widening the war in Afghanistan. On the other hand, people know the name of the newest woman to come forward about sleeping with Tiger Woods. If you buy the Vietnam War parallels, and there are many, then this foreign policy decision can have major implications on a reelection bid. It was a one day story.
The 24 hour news cycle has destroyed one of the most important of American institutions- the free press. The press is no longer free if it’s been bought and paid for by corporate America. News is no longer about fact; it’s about spinning a truth.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Paradigm Shift in Public Education
The public school system is broken, but not in the way that many people envision. Many schools, urban, suburban, and rural do an admirable job of educating students. There are strong and weak teachers in every school in this country, but that isn't the main issue either. Giving more local control (school boards and parents) versus state or even federal control is not the issue either. While safety and security are issues in some schools, they are not the reason why public education is not working for so many children in America.
Some of the preceding points are valid, but are only symptoms and not the root cause of the problems with public education. If a patient goes to the hospital with a headache, fever, bleeding, and each problem is treated separately, the patient could have a serious illness that is never diagnosed. That is the situation in public education. The system is wholly reactionary- Too many students are failing tests so remediation tutoring is set up without any guarantee that students will be proficient. Too many students are malnourished so we have the federal school lunch program (which also feeds students breakfast in some cases too). In schools where there is increased violence, metal detectors have been installed. There are many more examples of reactionary programs and policies in public education. In all fairness, schools have to be reactionary because they have been under constant assault. Schools get blamed for problems that they neither created nor are equipped to fix.
Public education was intended to be the great equalizer in society. An education is supposed to give people options and opportunity. Public education did not simply stop working. The idea that educators no longer know how to teach children seems ludicrous. Again, there strong and weak teachers in every school across the country, just as there always were.
Public education is broken today because schools were not designed nor were they intended to operate as social service institutions. Many of your “failing” schools serve a distressed population in America’s urban centers. It is not very surprising that students from the lowest socio-economic strata have the most difficult time achieving. It is not a case of these students lacking the capacity to learn. To the contrary… many students in schools that are considered to be underperforming are quite bright and capable of achievement at high levels (and some do just that). The issue is that many of these students face conditions that hinder their learning.
Students have to be ready to learn upon entering a school building. When their basic needs are not being met, how can these children be expected to perform at the same levels as students who do not face issues like hunger, homelessness, inability to purchase school supplies, no support system to help with homework and studying? When kids don’t know where they’ll be spending that night and whether or not they’ll have a bed or food, their priorities are not always on their studies. A student may be capable of being in an advanced placement class in high school but if he or she is homeless, their ability to focus on assignments is going to be hindered.
None of these conclusions are new. How to alleviate these symptoms in public schools (particularly in urban education) remains the issue. The solution is expensive. People do not want their tax dollars to pay for other people’s children. Suburban tax payers do not want to see their tax dollars sent to the city because they do not perceive the value in helping to educate children in other districts. The most telling statistic (and I don’t recall where I heard it) is that a community can determine how many jail cells it will need based on how many students are reading below grade level when they are in the 3rd grade.
Here is the solution! Schools need to be morphed into community centers. Children need to be cared for from sun up until sun down. Federal school breakfast, lunch, and dinner for those who are in need. Students who can not afford clothes should get financial vouchers to spend at area stores. There should be job training programs (including computer classes) for the student’s parents/guardians at the school that their child attends. There should be tutors on hand to help with homework. There should be counselors on hand to help students talk out problems. There should be fieldtrips to colleges, historical sites, etc. Not only will students basic needs be met, but there will also be more buy-in because of the close partnership between the schools and the students and their families.
If we expect schools to solve societal problems, there needs to be a paradigm shift. Schools need to start being thought of as a place of nurturing and love for children. This change can happen. It will be expensive. You can pay now in taxes or pay later in the salaries of extra police and the building of more jails…
Some of the preceding points are valid, but are only symptoms and not the root cause of the problems with public education. If a patient goes to the hospital with a headache, fever, bleeding, and each problem is treated separately, the patient could have a serious illness that is never diagnosed. That is the situation in public education. The system is wholly reactionary- Too many students are failing tests so remediation tutoring is set up without any guarantee that students will be proficient. Too many students are malnourished so we have the federal school lunch program (which also feeds students breakfast in some cases too). In schools where there is increased violence, metal detectors have been installed. There are many more examples of reactionary programs and policies in public education. In all fairness, schools have to be reactionary because they have been under constant assault. Schools get blamed for problems that they neither created nor are equipped to fix.
Public education was intended to be the great equalizer in society. An education is supposed to give people options and opportunity. Public education did not simply stop working. The idea that educators no longer know how to teach children seems ludicrous. Again, there strong and weak teachers in every school across the country, just as there always were.
Public education is broken today because schools were not designed nor were they intended to operate as social service institutions. Many of your “failing” schools serve a distressed population in America’s urban centers. It is not very surprising that students from the lowest socio-economic strata have the most difficult time achieving. It is not a case of these students lacking the capacity to learn. To the contrary… many students in schools that are considered to be underperforming are quite bright and capable of achievement at high levels (and some do just that). The issue is that many of these students face conditions that hinder their learning.
Students have to be ready to learn upon entering a school building. When their basic needs are not being met, how can these children be expected to perform at the same levels as students who do not face issues like hunger, homelessness, inability to purchase school supplies, no support system to help with homework and studying? When kids don’t know where they’ll be spending that night and whether or not they’ll have a bed or food, their priorities are not always on their studies. A student may be capable of being in an advanced placement class in high school but if he or she is homeless, their ability to focus on assignments is going to be hindered.
None of these conclusions are new. How to alleviate these symptoms in public schools (particularly in urban education) remains the issue. The solution is expensive. People do not want their tax dollars to pay for other people’s children. Suburban tax payers do not want to see their tax dollars sent to the city because they do not perceive the value in helping to educate children in other districts. The most telling statistic (and I don’t recall where I heard it) is that a community can determine how many jail cells it will need based on how many students are reading below grade level when they are in the 3rd grade.
Here is the solution! Schools need to be morphed into community centers. Children need to be cared for from sun up until sun down. Federal school breakfast, lunch, and dinner for those who are in need. Students who can not afford clothes should get financial vouchers to spend at area stores. There should be job training programs (including computer classes) for the student’s parents/guardians at the school that their child attends. There should be tutors on hand to help with homework. There should be counselors on hand to help students talk out problems. There should be fieldtrips to colleges, historical sites, etc. Not only will students basic needs be met, but there will also be more buy-in because of the close partnership between the schools and the students and their families.
If we expect schools to solve societal problems, there needs to be a paradigm shift. Schools need to start being thought of as a place of nurturing and love for children. This change can happen. It will be expensive. You can pay now in taxes or pay later in the salaries of extra police and the building of more jails…
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Being Middle Class is no Relief!
What happened to the American Dream? War was declared on the American Dream long ago. In fact, it’s been long enough that there aren’t enough people alive who remember a thriving and growing middle class in America. First the steel plants began closing in places like Youngstown and eventually the car plants began closing in places like Flint. Jobs that were firmly middle class are gone- downsized, out-sourced, eliminated in an effort to get leaner and meaner, lost to structural changes in the economy. The battle between economic classes in this country has already been lost. The middle class has no voice, no direction, and no plan.
As gas prices soar, instead of devising a plan to cut consumption (which would also keep more money in our pockets), the middle class just goes without other things. As food prices soar, the middle class just does without other things. As healthcare costs go up, the middle class just goes without other things. Well, when doing without means that we can’t even afford to buy groceries in a supermarket anymore, or take our family out to eat at a decent restaurant once in a while, or make the mortgage payment, or pay for quality daycare, then what? When there isn’t anything else to cut, you are no longer middle class.
Amid all the corporate bailouts and homeowner bailouts, people in the middle class ought to be wondering, "What about me?" Didn’t President Obama say that he was going to protect the middle class when he was campaigning? There was something about the rich paying more and the middle class paying less. What happened? Why isn't anyone looking out for the middle class? Why are people spending more on everything this year when so many went without a salary increase, if they managed to maintain their employment at all?
So in middle class America, there are those who were responsible enough to buy an affordable house with a fixed rate mortgage in a less desirable neighborhood. There are those who couldn’t afford to invest in the stock market but their pension fund took a hit, if their job still offers one. Others get bailed out, but what about the middle class?
If you want to help the middle class and protect families, student loan forgiveness and interest rate cuts on the loans are the way to go. Education has always been seen as a great equalizer. But for the middle class it’s becoming a gamble. Someone who grew up middle class and goes off to college will take student loans at a whopping 6.8% interest rate (higher than mortgage rates- 4.7% on 30 year fixed, and car loans- 4.8% for 60 months). With the cost of higher education, that person may be able to get a decent job, but will never live in the same neighborhood as coworkers who grew up wealthy or those who grew up poor. Neither the child of privilege nor the child of poverty who attend college have to pay student loans (or at least required far smaller loans). In essence, the vehicle that allows middle class kids to attend college is also an albatross around the neck of the middle class because they are so expensive and take so long to pay back.
Its time for a middle class bailout! Its time for the President and Congress to protect the middle class. Its time for the government to lower student loan interest from the whopping 6.8% it is currently. Cut it in half now! The government should also forgive some debt for those who work in the public sector. If you are a teacher, a percentage of your student loan should be forgiven. If you work in social services and you have student loans, they should get chopped too. If you are an EMT, you deserve relief. Did you go to nursing school? If you did, you deserve some loan relief too. How can you ever expect to attract the best and brightest into teaching and other public sector jobs if there is no financial incentive? How can you expect to retain people in these public sector jobs if the wages are no longer livable?
As gas prices soar, instead of devising a plan to cut consumption (which would also keep more money in our pockets), the middle class just goes without other things. As food prices soar, the middle class just does without other things. As healthcare costs go up, the middle class just goes without other things. Well, when doing without means that we can’t even afford to buy groceries in a supermarket anymore, or take our family out to eat at a decent restaurant once in a while, or make the mortgage payment, or pay for quality daycare, then what? When there isn’t anything else to cut, you are no longer middle class.
Amid all the corporate bailouts and homeowner bailouts, people in the middle class ought to be wondering, "What about me?" Didn’t President Obama say that he was going to protect the middle class when he was campaigning? There was something about the rich paying more and the middle class paying less. What happened? Why isn't anyone looking out for the middle class? Why are people spending more on everything this year when so many went without a salary increase, if they managed to maintain their employment at all?
So in middle class America, there are those who were responsible enough to buy an affordable house with a fixed rate mortgage in a less desirable neighborhood. There are those who couldn’t afford to invest in the stock market but their pension fund took a hit, if their job still offers one. Others get bailed out, but what about the middle class?
If you want to help the middle class and protect families, student loan forgiveness and interest rate cuts on the loans are the way to go. Education has always been seen as a great equalizer. But for the middle class it’s becoming a gamble. Someone who grew up middle class and goes off to college will take student loans at a whopping 6.8% interest rate (higher than mortgage rates- 4.7% on 30 year fixed, and car loans- 4.8% for 60 months). With the cost of higher education, that person may be able to get a decent job, but will never live in the same neighborhood as coworkers who grew up wealthy or those who grew up poor. Neither the child of privilege nor the child of poverty who attend college have to pay student loans (or at least required far smaller loans). In essence, the vehicle that allows middle class kids to attend college is also an albatross around the neck of the middle class because they are so expensive and take so long to pay back.
Its time for a middle class bailout! Its time for the President and Congress to protect the middle class. Its time for the government to lower student loan interest from the whopping 6.8% it is currently. Cut it in half now! The government should also forgive some debt for those who work in the public sector. If you are a teacher, a percentage of your student loan should be forgiven. If you work in social services and you have student loans, they should get chopped too. If you are an EMT, you deserve relief. Did you go to nursing school? If you did, you deserve some loan relief too. How can you ever expect to attract the best and brightest into teaching and other public sector jobs if there is no financial incentive? How can you expect to retain people in these public sector jobs if the wages are no longer livable?
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