COLUMN: Public education is the answer
Well now we know what liberals believe but where do you start? How do you begin to make the changes critical to the prosperity and stability of America’s future? On the rare day when I feel overwhelmed by the prospects, the politics and the social ills threatening our society, what can be done to turn the horse around?
How do you bring the ideas of freedom and personal liberties to a fearful society that so readily drinks up the religiously pumped party lines? On every front we’ll face obstacles, how can you hope to revitalize health care, repair the criminal justice system, strengthen public education, eliminate poverty or defend your constitutional rights when conservatives block you at every hand?
For the last years we’ve been on the defensive. We’ve appealed to the (quite possibly mythical) moderates of America, and instead of waiting out an administration, we’ve lost ground – tracts of it.
What is the keystone issue? What one issue can we focus on in order to have the greatest success? After a great deal of thought I must conclude that the issue that requires our greatest attention can be found in public education. Our efforts should be focused on that primary mission.
Reproductive rights, gay rights, other civil liberties, the state of our poor and our elderly…they are all very important. But let’s remember that even if the Republican Party manages to build the Rio Grande Wall, we can always tear it down once we take over.
I walked past the College Republican’s Booth in the TSC more than once last week. I haven’t seen any evidence that we even have a College Democrats Club this year, in a crucial election year. Where are the College Democrats? Republicans are notoriously organized and if we want to take over in congress this year we are going to be vocal, active and work tirelessly.
Liberals find themselves in their education, in college. It’s not because of any imbedded liberal propaganda, or subliminal advertising, but because liberalism is about sound reasonable ideas. In college you discover the roots of social ills, you learn that homosexuality is not a choice, that men are not superior to women, and that you are influenced by a diverse environment.
Liberalism appeals to logic, but it also appeals to the compassionate soul. For all that touted “Christian Values” might do, they abandon the poor, indulge the rich, fight wars, and abandon the unprivileged.
We need an affordable and elevated standard of college education. The available grant and scholarship money needs to increase several times over and student loans should all be subsidized with minimal interest.
High school curriculums should include a mandatory, comprehensive and frank sex education program. I agree that in a perfect world we’d have no unplanned or undesired pregnancies, the best way to make that happen is by giving already sexually active teenagers the tools they need.
Biology should leave mythology out of the course material; it’s far more evolved (and ultimately provable) anyway.
We should pay teachers competitive wages to encourage competency, implement newer teaching techniques, and refuse to lower standards of education. A failing grade is a failing grade and an A is not a B. We are close to learning-curving our way out of academic viability entirely. I know it’s not the only changes that need to be made, but hope can be found in progressively more liberal we’ll eventually overthrow the Grand Oldies Party. When? Well depending on what we do today it could happen over the next few years or when I hit retirement.
Next week I’ll demonstrate how to appropriately frame highlighted issues, the selected topic? National security.
Class dismissed.
Matthew Blackham is a junior majoring in sociology. Comments can be sent to matblackham@cc.usu.edu