Everyone Take a Deep Breath ... No, Don't Hold It. Exhale!

I Am Not Entirely Derailed

I realize that I have entered some territory that has nothing to do with FLR. My occasional pontifications cover other subjects that in general are considered part of FLR. This time it is something dear to my heart, my being, my family, my country, and the government of the United States of America. I assumed that in the spirit of our founding fathers, who were masters at deciding what was important (see United States Constitution), we can point out failures and suggest solutions. Alas, some take it as political, and really get on my case. This post is addressing that issue. As for the rest of my blog, it is still there, at least for a while. I have some tentative plans for that too. I promise to either get back to FLR or … something.

When Public Education Fails

I apologize to some of you who usually comment under “Anonymous”. I think it does not work any more. The reason is that I have had some minor annoyances with comments from some readers who hide behind anonymity while flaming me, so I try to limit the damages.

Let’s say that I am an uninvited guest at your home. Your door is open, and I walk in. You make a statement of your opinion with respect to a potentially controversial issue. If I have an opposite view, I may want to comment on it. Being somewhat civilized, educated, and versed in diplomacy I would not call you names. I would not attack your family or pets. I would not use foul language. I would not try to make you feel guilty of having a different opinion. Yet those actions are exactly what some readers do when commenting on my post.

I realize that political issues are known to create volatile conversations. But my points are not political. They are philosophical. They deal with our government, not political parties or individuals. If two people cannot have a philosophical discussion without resorting to behavior described above, one or both of them are either unintelligent or unenlightened.

In my previous post Comments On Gov'ment 2 I said that I reject some comments because of the extreme language and content. Yet I did let one such comment to be posted under Gov'ment 2. I did this to allow one of these people to demonstrate to all of us what he is and what kind of persons he represents.

He and the others so adroitly demonstrate their fifth-grade-level-education-going-on-twelve! Beside their bad grammar, bad composition, and sloppy typing, they have a hard time articulating their message without resorting to vulgarity and vicious attack. Here is the text of one of the messages:

“Hey man. I remember you saying tghat you waneted comments to your blog. now
that your getting them, youbdon't want them. Youre flr is boring, except for
that cat wow!
Obame blose.”

I can almost understand what he is trying to say. Not that it matters…

This is yet another example of education provided “free” by the Gov’ment. The little darlings are forced to hold down a chair in a classroom for twelve years, and this is what they have to show for it at the end. If anyone really needs a level playing field, this person is it. No wonder he had an extreme reaction to my posts.

I did not want to further pollute blog-space, so I have decided against allowing or quoting the rest of these vitriolic messages. I also wanted to spare the feelings of these people, since they would find their writing embarrassing upon reflection.

Public education in the USA is like “Universal Health Care” provided free for all. Not only is it free, but mandatory for the first twelve years or so depending on the age of the unwilling student.

Everybody knows that there is no such thing as free education. Someone is paying for it. I am paying for it, so are most of people I know. I don’t begrudge education offered to families who have school aged children. Our country thrives on people of ability, knowledge, and willingness to learn. What I resent is wasting resources on those who don’t need it, don’t want it, and will never do anything with it to pay back society’s contribution to their betterment. When a young person wastes twelve years in school and is capable only of writing such garbage as shown above, I insist that the resources have been wasted.

I am not saying, “Don’t help them to get an education.” I am saying that the way we are providing the help is a failure.