The American Spectator

Rich in NE| 5.7.09 @ 6:55AM

The really tragic and completely unnecessary reason for the dreadful state of the GOP is dramatized early in this article. NO ONE outside of the active conservative base knows that the Republicans in Congress tried to save this program, and that it was DEMOCRATS in Congress along with the 'President' and his team that killed it. Republicans are too lazy or too stupid to call attention to their positive actions as their opponents smear them.

Once again, the 'stupid party' demonstrates how they earned that name.

Lu| 5.7.09 @ 7:29AM

Maybe these people should be told exactly who is to blame. For all the Blacks and other low income people that continualy vote for the Democrat Party because they care, should be made to face the truth of these lairs. I have lost all sympathy for idiots that keep voting for their own demise.

Petyer Skurkiss| 5.7.09 @ 7:39AM

It's ironic. The Democratic Party relies on overwhelming, knee-jerk support from blacks for its political power, but then shafts this constituency group every time for the sake of the money and the organizational efforts of the teachers' unions.

In today's political environment, it is the blacks, and the blacks alone, that have the power to save their children from the dumbing down factories called public schools. Until the Democratic Party pays a price on election day for its choice to favor the education establishment over children, there will be no change.

C. S. P. Schofield| 5.7.09 @ 7:50AM

OK. I don't think much of the Obama-Rama-Ding-Dong. he's a twit and his policies stink, BUT;

The argument "He isn't sending HIS children to public school" strikes me as glib and false. Even assuming that the DC Public Schools were fine and stable institutions of learning (they aren't) the arrival of one or more Presidential Offspring would pretty much disrupt the functioning of the school for as long as the kid(s) in question remained. The private school that Obama has chosen has been a favorite of the Washington Elite for decades. OK, there's some snobbery there, but the school ALSO has experience dealing with children who need bodyguards and won't allow it to keep the other pupils from learning.

If Obama sent his kid(s) to Public School it would be an empty political gesture, throwing away the education of his own children and disrupting that of the other pupils. THAT would be contemptible.

So, by all means, let's pound him on his mistakes and pratfalls. By the evidence there will be no shortage of either. But I think he should be allowed a bye on this one. He can look good at the expense of a lot of kids, or he can do what he has decide to do.

Crusader| 5.7.09 @ 8:43AM

I'm still waiting for my vouchers. You know, equal protection and all that. But then again, I have a bunch of things working against me:
1 - I'm White
2 - I work and pay taxes
3 - I know who my baby-mama be (and like, live with her and the kids!)
4 - I am not in a victim class

So like I said yesterday, these people get no sympathy from me. Vote, vote, vote identity politics then cry, cry, cry when yo' "African-American" big brotha pulls da rug out from under you. Haha!

Eric Damon| 5.7.09 @ 8:59AM

C.P.S.,

No one would be talking about Obama sending his children to public school instead of private school if he and his Democratic cohorts did not trumpet the public schools at every turn. They continually dump funds into the schools, they seek the endorsement of the unions, and do their bidding at the EXPENSE of the children they claim to be so concerned about. That is hypocrisy in the most foul form imaginable, and it flies in the face of all of their grandstanding claims about caring for the futures of America's children.

I have no problem with Obama and the other 'elites' being able to send their children to private schools; they have the means to do so and I respect that choice. But there is a serious problem when they decided that only THEIR children should be afforded an opportunity to get the best education possible, and that scholarship programs like the ones described in the article should be summarily eliminated. That flies in the face if their repeated claims of wanting to assure that American children be given every chance to succeed, and shows how deeply in cahoots they are with the teacher's unions...who also don't really give a damn about the students they claim to care so much about.

So Obama does not deserve any breaks from us on this issue, since he has proven himself to be the worst kind of hypocrite. He benefitted from such a program as a child, yet he doesn't even raise his voice to object to the destruction of the opportunity for advancement that these children so desperately need. Besides which, Obama has no problem with other "empty political gesture[s]"...so why should this be different. And you unwittingly explained why he deserves ridicule here when you said that sending his children to the DC public schools would be "throwing away the education of his own children"; why is it okay for him to safeguard his childrens future, while throwing away the futures of the the children that were enrolled in this program? What makes Sasha and Melina more deserving of a chance at success than Dayonte and Demarro?

Robert Rosencrans| 5.7.09 @ 9:33AM

Yes, phony elites like the Obamas send their kids to private schools while smiling and telling the suckers in the pubic that public schools are good for their kids. Yet, ironically the rich may show the way out of this for the downtrodden.

I read an article several years ago about how the wealthy in New York are claiming their children are learning deficient in some area. This tactic allows them to send their children to expensive private schools at public expense. The original article I read had a list which included the names of many wealthy and famous parents, including many Hollywood types who use this loophole to send their children to elite private schools at public expense.

As far as the D.C. students, they are getting screwed in many ways. The Democrats have to keep the unions happy so no accountability is required in most public school systems and in D.C. the system atrophied for many decades.

Although Michelle Rhee appears to be turning things around, I don't believe the ingrained culture will ever change.

Several posters expressed it best. These dopes keep voting Democrats in and the Democrats screw them while smiling and telling them it's for their best.

In the meantime, here's how many millionaires send their children to private schools at public expense.

By the way, I don't remember every name on the list that was featured in the article , but many were well known liberals.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/new-york-city-loses-special-education-appeal/
The Associated Press noted today:

The nation’s main special education law guarantees every student a free appropriate public education and requires school systems to pay for private placements when their own programs or classrooms are not suitable.

Nationwide, the number of special education students placed in private schools at public expense has risen steadily, from about 52,012 pupils in 1996 to 71,082 in 2005, according to the federal Department of Education. Over all, however, the number of such placements remains relatively small — just 1.1 percent of the country’s 6.1 million special education students.

tonypal| 5.7.09 @ 10:12AM

C. S. P. Schofield:

I will echo what Eric Damon wrote by pointing out the fact that Obama himself went to a private school.

Obama, like all leftists, has a huge investment in the stupidity of a certain percentage of the population. Ignorance is a valuable commodity to democrat politicians.

Brooksanne| 5.7.09 @ 10:44AM

I agree with your first commenter: Why is it that Republicans don't even try to inform traditionally Dem voters in the lower classes and minorities?

Why are only the movement conservatives working hard?

When will we require the leadership to answer to us?

NavyBrat| 5.7.09 @ 11:14AM

Of course he allowed the students there THIS year to finish. Its all part of the plan to de fang the controversy in the near term. People have short memories these days. And of course he won't renew it next year. He has to keep the dummy factories of public education running full speed ahead. How else are we going to ensure that there are more dumb, angry, disaffected people to vote for us?

Sheryl| 5.7.09 @ 11:57AM

Hey, Sick of Dave Matthews--please don't tempt him! It's a blessed relief to read the occasional article here that is not followed by his idiotic ranting. Let us just be grateful for small favors.

Roscoe| 5.7.09 @ 12:31PM

The empty suit and the rest of Democrats could see this as a "no-lose" situation. They've won favor with the union; and does anyone really expect that Anquanette, or the parents of Infinite and Demarro, are likely to vote against? Really.

Crusader| 5.7.09 @ 1:03PM

(Sorry but I think this is going to end up being pretty long)

Brooksanne, you know, I've been doing a lot of thinking about what you said. Namely, why doesn't someone in the conservative movement try to get the truth out?

You know what? They do. I mean, if we can somehow manage to find out the truth, then it IS out there. Nobody in the "conservative movement" came knocking on my door and gave me a pamphlet or anything. I had the intellectual curiosity to try and find out for myself.

Then I got to thinking about the state of education in this country. Not even so much education but the very way we raise our children. We raise them nowadays and probably for the last 20-30 years or so trying to protect them from controversy, or adversity. We don't let them figure things out for themselves (within reason of course). There are no-tolerance policies, which are in essence no-reason policies. In little league when I played only the best 2-3 kids from each team played in the "All Star" game, and only 1 team got trophies at the end of the season. Now, we do away with All Star teams and tell little Johnny, who's team was 0-12, that he had just as good a season as little Billy, who's team went 12-0.

We teach kids and have taught kids for a long time that TRYING was more important than SUCCEEDING. Even if they only gave a half-a$$ try and failed they get the same reward as the kid who sacrificed, practiced/studied, and succeeded.

Basically we have hidden the most basic truth from our children: LIFE IS NOT FAIR. We have also hidden another basic truth from them: ACTIONS (and inactions) HAVE CONSEQUENCES (sometimes, gasp, bad consequences).

We rationalize or even celebrate stupidity in this country nowadays. We hold up as examples people who have made really bad choices and failed as not at fault--they've "lost life's lottery" or "greedy lenders" took advantage of them or some other such nonsense. Then we paint it as somehow "not fair" to them is we don't "help them." I mean, who says "not fair" more often, a teenager or a Dem politician? I can't tell.

So now we have adults who have NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH ADVERSITY and we wonder why they act like kids? We wonder why when we tell them something they don't believe it? Its because they have never experienced it, because THEY NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE ADVERSITY IN THEIR ENTIRE LIVES! Its almost like they don't believe it exists. They are naive to the -nth degree and just think "things will work out" because THEY ALWAYS HAVE--someone else has always covered their a$$es for them, so they expect it will always be that way.

Experience is the best teacher, right? With experience comes wisdom, right? We don't let our kids experience life and all that it has to offer (the good AND the bad) and they never grow up. Sure, they age chronologically, but they never truly "grow up" in the emotional sense. So you have adults with no experience and no wisdom.

For a long time I couldn't figure it out. I used to wonder why grown people thought like children. Or more specifically, why they still seemed to be in the "adolescent mind mode." You can't have a discussion about ANYTHING with a lot of adults--politics, religion, hell even sports--without them getting their feewings hurt and going all emotional on you. I would drive around and see all these bumber stickers on cars and expect the driver was like 16, but they turned out to be about 46. Why I wondered? How?

Then I cracked open the ol' Developmental Psych book and saw that teens are supposed to go through a rebellion stage and then grow out of it as they become adults. Basically as they gain experiences that challenge their adolescent minds and thoughts, they grow emotionally. But again, parents indulge instead of challenge their kids so their goofy thoughts and aversion to anything remotely controversial becomes cemented. Instead of growing out of the rebellion stage they grow IN to it. Instead of their emotional development being a linear, diagonal line upwards, it flattens out, or altogether stops.

So next time you're listening to Hannity and an Obama supporter calls in and Hannity challenges them and they call him a racist, remember, they may be 45 chronologically but they are 15 emotionally. Next time you debate a coworker and instead of replying with facts they call you names or chant talking points, remember, they may be 34 chronologically but they're 15 emotionally. I have gotten to the point that I don't even try to talk to anyone anymore about a wide range of stuff. It gets absolutely tiring to present facts and all you get in return for your effort is, "Yeah well, well, you're STUPID!" or "You're a homophobe/racist/whatever."

I honestly think too many Americans fall into the category of "kidults" and can't be reasoned with anymore. They are gonzo. They only want talking points or sloganeering and they don't want to be responsible for anything if mommy or daddy or gubmint can be responsible for it.

Again, I apologize for the long-winded post.

Cru

TJ| 5.7.09 @ 1:54PM

What Cru said!

Great post.

As an aside--I wonder if Obama would jump at the media moment if one of these young students wrote to The One directly, or got local TV coverage asking the Messiah if he would help.

NavyBrat| 5.7.09 @ 1:55PM

Crusader. I agree with you completely. I'm not too far removed from my raucous youth (I'm 30). Fortunately, where I went to public high school, winning was still a hot commodity (I graduated in '97). The hot chicks still didn't date losers & still don't to this day. My Dad brought me up to be a winner in everything I attempted. If I failed, then I learned from it & tried again or tried something different. I never expected to be coddled or carried. That's the problem with kids today. They EXPECT success as if it's a certainty. They don't realize the best part about this country is the ability, no matter you background, or status, you can try & fail as many times as you want, & STILL be able to reinvent yourself so as to make yourself a success at something. Great comment. I didn't care if it was long. It was very well said & so true. Take it light!

Conrad Spiracy| 5.7.09 @ 2:50PM

Crusader:
> "Basically we have hidden the most basic truth from our children: LIFE IS NOT FAIR. We have also hidden another basic truth from them: ACTIONS (and inactions) HAVE CONSEQUENCES (sometimes, gasp, bad consequences). " <<br />
Amen! See here:
http://despair.com/ambition.html

Mr. Lawler,
Excellent piece.

Con Spiracy

Big J| 5.7.09 @ 3:06PM

My two cents:

Crusader is absolutely right. I have tried to articulate this for a long time. Parents (not all, but most these days) and teachers (again, not all) are responsible for the mess our society is in. Let me explain.

I do not have children, but I do pay school taxes. I really don't have a problem with this, as I feel a good education for our youth is imperative to a prosperous society, and to my well-being. While it may seem that I do not have a "horse in this race", that is not true at all.

You see, I have to hire and train people entering the workforce in order to grow my own company. I have noticed a massive deficit of common sense and work ethic over the last several years. You might even call it epidemic or pandemic (swine flu ain't got nothin' on this one). Not only that, there is an air of entitlement hanging like a cloud over the up-and-coming workforce. "I know I can't get up on time, keep my car running, find my way out of a paper bag (let alone across town to the jobsite), or actually produce anything for you, but WHY won't you pay me $20 per hour? I DESERVE IT!"

It's very disheartening. In all actuality, I was self-employed for the first time at about age 9. I tried the usual lemonade stand, but that wasn't very profitable. So I went door to door asking "can I mow or rake your lawn? Do you need a babysitter Friday or Saturday? What can I do to help you and make some money for me?" This activity was encouraged (almost required) by my parents. If I wanted something, I had to work for it. A very simple concept that has seemingly dissipated from our society.

I think the public school system has been riding high on the horse for far too long. Results don't really matter. We can always make the tests a little easier so EVERYONE passes. The school's coffers grow fatter by the year. As long as the teacher, principal and administrators show up, they get a check. Where's the incentive to be better at what you do if it has no effect on your income? That is the exact reason why school vouchers are a great idea. That is why it's working in D.C.

Can you imagine if schools were actually competing for students? Of course some really bad teachers would be fired. That's kinda the way it works in all businesses. But that would provide openings for really good teachers. A government entity operating like a real live business....what a concept!

The voucher system has and will continue to work. More kids will have better opportunities to learn and become productive members of society. That is why the Democrats don't like the idea.

Keep the poor poor.

Keep the uneducated uneducated.

Keep pushing the racism issue, so most everyone thinks that racism exists.

It's the mantra of the left, sadly.

Marc Jeric| 5.7.09 @ 4:13PM

Show me a strong union and will show you a dead or dying industry - cars, textile, steel, electronics, apparel, etc. They all are engaged in outsourcing in order to save themselves. But when it comes to government employees unions there is no way out. Teacher unions in the hands of the far left have destroyed our education, producing already the third generation of illiterate nincompoops full of self-esteem, voting their "feelings". Some 45% of teachers "teach" while 55% "administer, facilitate, coordinate, empower, enforce. etc."

Richard Baker| 5.7.09 @ 4:54PM

Was a math and science teacher in Florida until being laid off after 9/11. The public schools are nothing but expensive daycare and should be closed entirely and the parents should be given the money AND responsibility to tend to their kid's education. The NEA is nothing but a trade union and not a professional association. The NEA, as a result, is more concerned about it's union membership than the education of anyone. The sad thing is that so many parents HOPE that the kids will be educated. Since the Baby Boomers are most of the parents and run the school systems the three priorities of this generation should be remembered at all times. They are: Raise my kids, Take care of my responsibilities, So I can go play.

Dep Pop De-Education| 5.7.09 @ 5:22PM

AIDS REPORT: The Man Made Plague

Pastor Michael Treis

Mftreis3@yahoo.com

C/O general delivery USPO Wax., Texas

Absolute proof AIDS was made by the US Special Virus Cancer Program, distributed by the World Health Org., funded by the US Congress. Documentation, laws legalizing (sic) biological & chemical warfare testing on US Citizens and more. May God Forgive US!

AIDS Report: The Man Made Plague

From the Official U.S. Govt. Documents House of Rep.

Proof: Department of Defense Appropriations for 1970

H.B. 15090

"The transcript that follows is taken from the June 9, 1969 Senate testimony of Dr. Donald MacArthur, a high-level Defense Department biological research administrator. For those who hold the theory that AIDS is the result of a U.S. biological weapons program--discussed in chapter 40 of 60 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time--this testimony is a smoking gun, or smoking petri dish as the case may be. We present it without further comment. Judge for yourself." Funding was approved in 1970 - $10 million to the DOD

Educate people about to die, what is the POINT?

Tom Paine| 5.7.09 @ 5:46PM

Some of the posts here are a little crazy. You all should read Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln on the necessity of strong, publicly funded education.

However, thoughtful conservatives who support vouchers are right. Students should be given public funding to attend private schools -- especially in communities with failing schools. I just think it would be crazy to subtract that funding from what the failing schools are getting.

ACynic| 5.7.09 @ 5:47PM

The slave owners and house negros - liberal white millionaire "progressives," and their allies, the house negros - Obama, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the NAACP, CORE, etc., do not believe that the field negros - the one that actually picks the cotton deserve a good education.
Why?
Because the house negros feel they are superior to the field slaves. After all they get better food, housing, treatment, clothing and maybe even get educated. They get to hang out with the slave millionaire progressive elitist white folks.
You see, the field workers are untermensch; not quite human, not deserving of all the benefits that house negros have. This is why the house negro organizations - NAACP, etc., and our Black President could give a rat's ass is field slaves are kept uneducated.
As for the slave owners - the white millionaire progressives, well, they will allow the house negros to hang with them as long as they - the house negros - keep all negroes from supplying votes for the slave owners.
It really is that simple.
Of course, the teacher's union also could give a rat's ass if inner city schools are worth a damn because the teachers, school administrators don't have to send their kids to the same schools as the field negros attend.
Also, the house negroes - by the way, many, if not most very wealthy also - just like their white elitist progressive slave owners - also do not have to send their kids to these crappy schools.
All that matters is keeping the field negro in their place - the bottom of the socioeconomic barrel; and the best way to do this is keep them stupid and uneducated.
Just keep supplying them the fried chicken and watermelon as we - the white elitist millionaire progressives - can keep getting their vote.
Sure makes it easy to do this with all them house negroes doing the dirty work for us; just give them "white" food, "white" clothing and "white" education and of course, "white" money.

Idiots about to die| 5.7.09 @ 5:56PM

ACynic.

A Dead white man and a dead Black man = 2 dead fuckers. No money in the world will not save you.

One group of White trash, and one group of Niggers = the same people about to die, poisoned by the American Government under population control.

Go and do some reasearch, like I have. You have two choices fighting in the Middle East or die at home by a Manufactured Virus, if you get back you will die anyway.

If you think you are something special, to these people who are running America, you better wake up, they are intewrested in Land and Money, and Dumb AssHoles like you is not worth much.

C. S. P. Schofield| 5.7.09 @ 7:17PM

OK, lets try this again;

I think Obama is an ass. I think that his position on Vouchers is wrong. Worse, I think it is a mistake.

BUT

The cold fact is that no President - Left, Right, or Off The Wall - can send his children to a public school in this day and age. The public schools will not be set up to deal with the secret service (and who is going to pay to remedy that, eh?). The public schools cannot keep the media at bay. No public school can possibly provide for the safety of the Presidential Spawn or keep classes from being disrupted every time some pinhead wants to use the President's kids as props in his own ego-play. Sending the children of ANY American President to a public school would be a disaster.

If we attack Obama for doing the only sensible thing - sending his kids to a private school that can protect them and keep out the fame hunters and the deranged - we give him an easy "see how unreasonable these people are" talking point. We don't want to do that.

El Rey| 5.7.09 @ 7:19PM

Editors,

Why do you allow postings like the one above from ACynic?

Again, things were so much better when TAS online printed comments the day after an article appeared and used judgment as to what was used.

ACynic| 5.7.09 @ 8:00PM

I will try this again.

There are three main groups who oppose school choice for the poor inner city blacks.
1. The supposed "caring" white elitist progressives on the left who are mostly very wealthy, live in the best areas and send their kids to private school or very good public schools . Some examples here are the Clintons, Kennedy , Pelosi , Reid, Kerry, etc.
2. The wealthy or very influential black "leadership," who I described previously as house negros. This would include Obama, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton , the NAACP, CORE and other so-called black leadership organizations.
3. The teachers union LEADERSHIP; almost all white, very liberal progressives.

All the groups above have one common attribute; none of them have to send their kids to the miserable inner city schools.

One can sort of understand the teachers union position; by preserving their monopoly they are assured of bargaining power in terms of salary, benefits, working hours.
They do what all unions do; strive to enrich their membership. This is all they care about.

The rich white elitist progressive millionaires - referred earlier as slave owners - merely seek to maintain power. You do this by getting votes. You get votes by having powerful groups give you money - the teachers union, and by throwing bones to the poor blacks you are totally screwing to get their vote as well.

Finally, the most disgraceful of the bunch are the mostly very rich HOUSE NEGROS; Obama, et. al., who also love power and authority and can achieve and maintain this by hanging out with their millionaire slave owner white liberal progressive elites. They stand in good stead with the white slave owners by providing the votes of the poor inner city blacks that the house negros screw royally. They deliver the votes by foisting blame for the decrepit condition of the inner cities on THE MAN. THE MAN is any white non-progressive; rich or poor.
This way the house negros maintain their wealth and influence.
The house negro is the most disgusting of the bunch because they lie and deceive folks of their own race so that they, the house negro, can maintain power and influence.

Oh, yes, I forgot.

All of the above could give a rat's ass about educating poor inner city blacks - the only real path to success and climbing the socioeconomic ladder.

I did not mention the liberal, progressive media. As you would expect, they are also almost all white, all very well to do if not outright millionaires, and send their kids to good schools. They also could give a rat's ass if poor inner city blacks do not receive a good education.
They will not report on this very sad day in American History at all because it would be critical of OBAMA THE MESSIAH and of the white millionaire liberal progressive elites whom the media folks suck up to.

Frankly, the only way out of this mess if for the poor inner city blacks - beginning in Washington DC- come out by the tens of thousands and DEMAND school choice and settle for nothing less and insist they will NEVER AGAIN vote for any politician, white or black, who opposes school choice or for any politician who supports another politician who opposes school choice. They must demonstrate by the tens of thousands, literally shut down Washington DC, until they have school choice.

By the way, I am not a black person, nor a progressive nor a republican nor a democrat. I truly believe education is the path to success and the policies of the progressive elitist millionaire white liberals and wealthy and influential black "leadership" demonstrates their contempt and hatred - yes hatred - for poor inner city blacks.
Just as white elites demean those whites who shop at Walmart or live in "flyover" country, black elites feel the same about poor inner city blacks.

In each case, neither elitist group really tries to help those in need. They merely seek to achieve and maintain power and wealth by keeping the poor poor, the uneducated uneducated, the ignorant ignorant, and all on govt handouts.

Mind your own business| 5.7.09 @ 8:05PM

So what if Obama sends his children to private school, they were in private school before, he became President. Or perhaps here we go again people writing with no facts.

People who can't afford to send their children to private school, are worried about Obama's Children let Mr and Mrs Obama worry about their children, and perhaps you should worry about yours.

Dam Idiot| 5.7.09 @ 8:10PM

ACynic

Do your self a favour, stop worring about Black people I am sure most Blacks in America is aware of Racism, Racial haterd, and the rest.

People like you could not surprise me you are not smart enough.

Go and clean up your act, and leave the trailer park.

Blacks in Slavery 400 Yrs | 5.7.09 @ 8:25PM

ACynic
If anybody is getting hand outs in America it should be Black people they built America in Slavery and they have never been paid for their labour.

All White thash spend their time worring about Black people, I think they are in competion with each other for work, dumb white assholes what is your excuse for your lack of education, you were the priviledged few.

If you are so dam smart why is foreigners running your country. Why does America beg money from the Chinese? Get your self a life and an education.

Richard Baker| 5.7.09 @ 8:28PM

To Tom Paine:
Closing the public schools and giving the $ and responsibility to the parents is NOT crazy. When the system is a total failure, the only option left is to stop and re-group. The school systems, as presently constituted, are broken and cannot be repaired, re-funded, or rebuilt. Stop throwing good money after bad. When I was a high school teacher, I became aware that there was no rigor or discipline in the schools. The last high school at which I taught had 6 employees whose job, along with the on-site police officer, was to maintain discipline! The reason this state of affairs exists is that the parents are disconnected from their children's education. With true parental responsibility, as my previous post described, will come more incentive to become involved and competition between private schools will yield true education.
Jefferson and Lincoln could have never imagined that our moral foundations would so crumble that police officers would be stationed within the schools. They supported the idea that the public education of our future leaders would generate societal continuity and stability. Are those goals being met by the present system? Common sense, indeed.

Fools who have nothing| 5.7.09 @ 9:04PM

ACynic
You want hand outs? go and ask for it, how many Black people got any Government Bailouts it 's the Banks who was Bailed out.

Worring about Black people, Black people have the same problem white people have trying to survive.

In the Paulson Bailout, no Blacks owned any Banks. You have a problem white scum, take it up with the legislator.

The problem you have, is some of us have read books about assholes like you. You and your family are still living in the dark ages.

What is happening in America, is White Americans is getting a dose of their own medicine, a strong dose of poverty, Blacks have nothing to lose, you do, they have never had anything.

Whilt white people, ligitimise crime, to suit themselves, criminalising Blacks for being alive, they have got usto it. The same white collar crimes people like you invented has come back to haunt you, and your family.

Justice and freedom for all as Americans is what it should have been about. Some wanted more for themselves, and the Rich Bankers has screwed you, so who is in the firing line Blacks again. They have seen it all, they know more about you and your criminal mindedness, that the Jewish system have screwed you and America.

Who controls the money controls the country, AssHole.

Time to move on| 5.7.09 @ 9:52PM

Blacks don't get a good education, try telling Condi Rice that, and Colin Powel. And Mrs Obama. People who want a good education get a good education.

People who want to become drug dealers, that's what they become. The choice is yours, if you want your kids watching Walt Diseny every day don't read books. You get that type of children, parents play a role in your childrens lives.

Don't blame the system, take responsibility, Blacks as well as whites have a duty.

You are a product of your environment, never forget that, it was a German Scientist that told me that, and I know now he was right.

Blacks are behind because they lost years in Slavery, and it's time they were compansated for their suffering.

Curtis Rasmussen| 5.7.09 @ 10:15PM

Time to move on?

Time to move on from reparations is more correct. As a Black man I am against any new tax or confiscation and government dependence fostered by a new entitlement. Did you notice how the welfare entitlement totally screwed many poor families?

Also, since I am 1/8 white, do I get to sue myself for reparations?

How about reparations for native Americans, or Chinese that helped to build California at the turn of the Century? People have been abused since the beginning of time, assuming that I deserve money because my black ancestors were enslaved is absurd and racist.

Also, this is not about race, but concerns class. Elitism is an equal opportunity employer just as poverty has no racial barrier. Let people decide their own fates, and I guarantee they'll do a better job than the government could do.

Alan Brooks| 5.8.09 @ 3:00AM

we'll always have a mediocre skool system.
America has no serious morality, so its institutions are trash.

Other countries are worse, but we wont go anywhere-- social 'progress' is over-- we wont advance one inch from now on.

Richard Baker| 5.8.09 @ 12:21PM

Love it when I hear the sick, lame, and lazy in our society claim that spreading misery equally is equitable. To the brother earlier who said that it's time for the White man to get his, I have one question. What do you do to better yourself and your community or is it just more of the "Burn baby, burn" nonsense?

I always believed that when a man immediately resorts to names and insults instead of THOUGHT that he must be mentally fatigued. It appears that Fools who Have Nothing becomes fatigued rapidly. Stop blaming everyone but yourselves and get out there and work for it or would you rather suck off the government tit at a degraded level?

tonypal| 5.8.09 @ 1:51PM

Mind your own business:

The reason we get on Obama is because he seems more concerned with advancing the interests of teacher's unions than advancing the interests of children. Leftists like Obama like to use children as a battering ram for pushing through wasteful spending on programs such as Head Start. But when a real opportunity to effect "change we can believe in" comes along, such as a successful charter school in DC, he says NO.

Ask yourself this question: Why is it that competition is beneficial to everything you can imagine, be it business, sports, etc., yet when it comes to education, it's the ruination of public schools? Does that really make sense to you? Don't you think if public schools had to compete with private schools for money, they would do a better job than they're doing now? It's really just a matter of common sense.

Furthermore, don't you think that we should be raising the standards of what we expect from teachers? There's an awful lot of good teachers out there, but there's also quite a few who are simply collecting paychecks. As with any other business, we need to make the environment more competitive. In that way, we attract better people to the profession and we clear out the dead wood.

As for Obama, no one begrudges his little girls a private school education. We only get mad when he begrudges everyone else the same opportunities that both he and his girls have received.

A Table| 5.9.09 @ 1:02AM

Most confusing article of all time. Repugs = man, let these poor kids have cash to go to whatever the fuck private school they want. Goddamn mean bureaucrats = That must be the socialist gov't I keep hearing about = repugs lovvves large government.

Richard Baker| 5.9.09 @ 11:16AM

To A Table:
1:02 am is a confusing time and maybe not the best time to read. Lay down and sleep it off and re-read the article when your faculties are engaged.

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