From: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: Education, deficits, morals: you can't have it all
Date: 23 Aug 92 02:08:15 GMT
Reply-To: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Organization: The Business Card (BBS), Lawrence, MA - Data: 508-682-5329

Terri Buchman <buchman@osf.org> writes:

> 1.	Morals, morals, morals.  I think yours are insufferable. 
> You advocate hatred, intolerance and greed.  I wouldn't want you or anyone
> like you anywhere near my children.  That's my opinion.

I wouldn't want you or anyone like you near my wallet.

I can only assume you haven't been following along as I don't think I've
advocated any of the things you ascribe to me.  I do, however, advocate
keeping my own money to myself and yours to yourself.  Is that so awful-bad?

My not wanting to fund your idea of sex education in school or any of the
other myriad of social programs that I assume you advocate is not hateful,
intolerant, or greedy - it is pragmatic.

We had one guy in here who suggested that we should go so far as to spend time
and money teaching kids how to tie their shoelaces in school if they didn't
get that education at home!  Gimme a break!  Give the taxpayers a break!

Each year, the Tax Freedom Day, the day after which your entire earnings no
longer go to paying your tax debt, is pushed later and later into the year.
Every election year we hear the same complaints of too high taxes and deficit
budgets and yet, no one wants to do anything about it.  We hear this rhetoric
about people with the "courage to make the tough decisions" but they wilt in
the face of special interests calling them greedy, intolerant, and hateful.

THAT is greedy!  Greedy people wanting MY tax money and I'm tired of it.
Intolerant people who think that "Ozzie and Harriet" family values are quaint
and old-fashioned.  Hateful people who deride anyone who dare suggest that the
homosexual lifestyle is perverted.

Please don't get me wrong, what you do is fine by me as long as I don't have
to foot the bill for it!

> 2.	Deficits.  Maybe you haven't noticed, but the conservatives
> have been in the White House for 12 years.

Does having the Democrats control congress for three times that time count
for anything?  Do they have any burden of responsibility to bear here?  Does
failing to adhere to the Gramm-Rudman deficit reduction package point to
gutlessness?  Does failing to pass an amendment to the _Constitution,_ no
less, to require balanced budgets tell you anything?  Not enough?  How about
not passing term limitations?  Republicans, try as they might, simply cannot
get anything done with the special interest-influenced congress.

People want change.  Instead of changing one man, the president, how about
changing many people, the congress?  This change is de facto anyway as 150
members of congress will not be coming back next year.  Keep the conservative
administration and you will keep your money in the process.

> 3.    Schools.  So what's the solution.  Are you a more money advocate?

Yes, in fact, I am a "more money" advocate BUT where will that money come
from?  Certainly not from raising the already confiscatory taxes.  Reallocate
the money that is already being spent.  Stop spending the huge school budgets
on such silliness as home economics, physical education, sex education,
vocational training, bilingual education, condom distribution... the list goes
on... and spend it on basic, high-quality education.  Fire all those fluff
courses teachers and increase the pay of the English teachers, buy up-to-date
books, stock libraries, hire more teachers, build more schools...

> Do you propose that more control be put in the hands of parents to
> control the agenda of the schools?

ABSOLUTELY!  A thousand times YES - and loudly!  I've been chanting "voucher
system" in this group for two weeks now and, strangely, not one person has had
anything to say on the subject.  I value a strong basic education, as you can
see.  If the taxpayers are going to spend an average of $5,000 per pupil each
year, I say give that money DIRECTLY to the parents to spend whichever way
they wish on an education from an accredited school.

THAT will give you the greatest control of your child's education.  If you
like that sort of multi-cultural education pap of the Liberals, be my guest!
I'll take my bucks and spend it on the Three R's, thank you.

> Do you favor increased testing as a measure of teaching competence?

ABSOLUTELY!  None of this weighted grading according to race and background,
too!  I also favor teacher testing and merit-based pay raises.  Further, I
recommend abolishing tenure for teachers.

> Are you in favor of schools incorporating "morals" courses into the
> curriculum?  How, exactly, it that to be accomplished?

I do  * N O T *  favor morals courses in K-12 schools.  Further, I might even
object to it in publicly-funded higher education schools as well.  It will,
exactly, be accomplished by not spending money on it.  Period.

> How about condom distribution, sex education classes,

Negative.

> teacher recertification and training programs?

Absolutely!

> I would be happy to debate/discuss, agree or disagree with any actual
> recommendations that you have.  Come on, you should be able to come up with
> at least one real stand.

Now I KNOW you're a new-comer to this group.  Welcome!

I have been haranguing the touchy-feely, rad-Left, Liberal, PC, intellectually
elite crowd on morals in school for lo, these past two weeks and more.  I will
thank you to read the recent past posts to this group before you lay into me
for not taking a stand.  I have taken nothing but heat for taking a strong
stand!

                         Your friend in Lawrence, Massachusetts...
                                      - - - Murph

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