Word.
Remember when teachers, public employees, Planned Parenthood, Public Radio, and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped out half of our 401Ks, took trillions in TARP money, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses, and paid no taxes?
Yeah, me neither. Reblog if you can’t remember, either.
Politics is a funny game. It’s interesting how the public can be swayed to vote against their own interests when the media and public officials play on misinformation and fear. That is why education is so important. An educated public is key to a working democracy. But not only that, a curious and critical public would have the ability to receive news from multiple sources and hash out an opinion that is closer to the truth and more rational than what they are getting from certain media outlets. The recent crusade against public employees and teachers is a great example of how good, hardworking Americans are at risk of taking a hit in the most hard of economic times.
Just think: America is falling behind in terms of creating an educated workforce ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow. We continually are out performed in terms of math and science by other countries and there is still a projected shortage of Americans prepared to be employed by tech companies. This means more outsourcing of some of the most coveted jobs to foreign peoples. How can anybody claim that they want to keep jobs in America and then cut from the very system that could potentially keep Americans working? This is not the time to start cutting from education, not when teachers are overworked and schools are understaffed. Not when schools are just as segregated today as they were before Brown. We’re crippling ourselves from the inside out.
And I know that what I’m saying many would disagree with. I know much of what I’m saying could be dismissed as more “liberal rhetoric”. But I have learned a few things in my time here at UCLA and much of what I have learned is that this world has some serious problems that warrants more attention than a mere, “oh, that’s sucks”. I reblogged this post not only because I agree with it, but because I implore all who reblog it, or even those who just see it and are indifferent, to dig a little deeper. Do a little research. It doesn’t take that long. While you’re on facebook, Google some of these issues. Read a few dissenting opinions. By educating yourself you empower yourself to know the issues of the day and make an informed opinion. And that is all that really matters: I don’t care what side of the aisle you are on, just as long as your opinion is informed. Only then can we create any sort of dialogue and work towards any sort of solution.
