I was inspired today to write about education, after reading a post on the issues of public education shortfalls that Nevada is currently experiencing, due to the state's budget crunch. In all seriousness, it was a disconcerting read, because it gravely concerns what I am going to discuss in this diary entry....
Obviously, money doesn't grow on trees...and, yes if a state's budget crosses into the red numbers, is the governing body justified to make spending adjustments? Sure, why not...
But, a lot of state legislators might want to keep in mind the following:
Education is this country's future!
What we are willing to teach our youngest generation, today, will determine how far that generation will bring the nation tomorrow.
It is that simple!
And to that end, education and to that extend public education, is now, more detrimental than ever! This country is looking ahead at some challenging times.
Population and environment are just two of the many issues that are going to weigh in heavy in the coming decades.
Sex education is what will help with the population problem... well, at least after conservative nimble-wits can get over the idea of teaching contraceptive measures to our youth as a safe way of prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Education in the sciences and math is what will help with the environmental problems in the future, unfortunately the same conservative nimble-wits have a problem with that, too: Evolution, they deny it! Global Warming, they deny it!
Our kids have the need to understand how they became Homo Sapiens, in order to better understand what they should strive to become next! The acceptance of evolution as a fact and understanding is far more crucial to the future of this country than our conservative nimble-wits could possibly ever imagine!
And if we insist on deluding our kids that global warming isn't happening, the way conservatives have been deluding the entire country, so far, we might as well kiss the future of this country Good Bye!
No, if you have budget shortfalls, as state legislators your imperative is to look at every possible way to avoid cutting the public education funds, and if at all you should consider increasing those amounts. That money is an investment into this country's future ... that is, if at all, you care for this country's future!
But, if instead, you are more concerned about the corporate shareholder income of our current generation, as Republicans obviously are, sure, you have no reason to care about the future then. Your concern for the future ends the day those shareholders die!