Throwing Bricks Through Windows Will Raise Your Taxes

Some protesters of health care threw bricks through windows after the legislation was signed into law. Arguments made by most of the protesters that their taxes would be raised and they did not support the health care bill. It was counter productive to vandalize Congressional offices and threaten Congressmen. The cost incurred for the additional protection and fixing the vandalized property would be paid by the U.S. government. The U.S. government gains their revenue from taxes, therefore the vandalism and threats have raised taxes.

Protests are great items to help express points of views. The problem  is when people take their protests to the extremes hurt their cause. It is not benefitical for the country. We the people need to have a civil discussion with each other to have better understanding of views. If people do not do this and still portray their hate the country progress can not be made.

Health Care Passes

Tonight Americans have witnessed one of the biggest legislative packages passed since the Medcaid Act of 1965 part of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. Reform that has been elusive for 100 years is now into law. This is a great moment for democracy and people that want affordable health care. The plan is not perfect, but a great start. Hopefully in the near future reforms can be made to improve the reform. As of now Americans are gaining freedoms that some have never had in thier lifetime. This is a great time to be an American.

Texas Board of Education New Amendments to the Social Science Curriculum Give it a Conservative Spin

Friday according to Talking Points Memo the Texas Board of Education voted 10-5 to change their social science curriculum to include a variety of Conservative points. The vote was along party lines some outlets like Fox News have made the argument that this is a war to save our children from evil liberal policies. Other outlets are arguing that what Texas decides shapes the school curriculum for the entire nation.

Major alternations according to the New York Times include works Thomas Jefferson will be limited in talking about the Constitution because he was a strong supporter for the separation between church and state and considered to be a major person in the Enlightenment. He will be replaced with by religious thinker John Calvin the founder of Calvinism.   This only pertains to World History.  Another amendment that is out there is the inclusion of Conservative ideals like Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America," Moral Majority, and the National Rifle Association. Other items lessen with these amendments are the great tragedy of Japanese Internment Camps, the Civil Rights movement will also show the downfalls that it brought to society, and the importance of McCarthyism in the fight against Communism.

The view of history projected by the Texas Board of Education is biased and does not serve a purpose of educating students, but promoted an agenda through the second largest buyer of textbooks. Interesting facts none of the board members are Historians. They do not have any formal training in the subject matter that they are changing. A quote from Mary Helena Berlanga a board member commenting on the amendments, “They are going overboard, they are not experts, they are not historians,” she said. “They are rewriting history, not only of Texas but of the United States and the world.” 

This is an outrage 10 people are holding the history curriculum hostage for their personal beliefs instead of the common good. They are angry that beliefs that they hold have not been criticized by historians and want revenge by altering the textbook for a more favorable view of history.  What they are doing is wrong. History is the way society looks at the past and critiques what went right and what went wrong. By top loading history to benefit one side does not help that side’s argument. History is free flowing and the truth will come out. Unless Texas changes their college, history curriculum the true idea of history will be told.  It is impossible to change history to your liking what the Texas Education Board fails to realize that will history teachers actually teach the lessons that they propose?  What happens when history educators rebel? This attempt by the Republican 10 to alter history textbooks to alter history will not work and will fail.

Resistance to Student Loan Overhaul will Push it to Pass the Senate in Reconcilliation

The plan presented by the President and supported by Arne Duncun to overhaul the student loan industry by cutting out the middleman is facing resistance in the Senate. Arguments for opposition of this bill are saying that 12,000 jobs will be lost if the funding structure changes. That means possble savings of 87 billion dollars over 10 years will be lost to protect 12,000 jobs.

 For public information these are not jobs held by low paid wage earners, but people that make between 400,000 and 700,000 dollars. Their companies' greed is slowing this reform. Sallie Mae has increased its lobbying efforts from 3.2 million in 2008 to 3.8 million in 2009.  These companies know that this is easy money for them. It is important to call your Senators and tell them to vote for financial aid reform.

The Importance of Education to the United States

Today students around the United States protested budget cuts and tuition hikes by their states. States are finding that their solution for their budget problems by implementing the budget cuts tuition hikes. According to the Huffington Post Texas Governor Rick Perry is cutting 29 million dollars from the Texas budget from their department of education. Another example in California at UC Berkeley massive protests against 30 percent tuition increases. Tuition there has increased twice in two years at unprecedented levels. To show their solidarity schools across the United States have staged protests and teach ins. For more information go to Defend Education, they have been important organizer for this movement.

The problem today with the budget cuts and tuition hikes is that the quality of education in this country is getting worse not better. A four year degree does not hold the same value as it did 30 years ago. Colleges today do not have the same value. It is important for everyone to gain a good education, but College is not the perfect fit for everyone. The idea that modern society puts on its youth that the only way for people to prosper is through college is false. Technical schools and the military are honorable career paths for students to follow. It is important to realize that all students are not one size fits all.

 This leads us back to our original path the inability of state governments to provide adequate education at affordable prices without cutting quality. If we want to be the best in the world in all aspects of global dominance we need to provide the funding to our education systems so future generations can maintain our strides in improving technology and learning. There is not a short cut of being innovative or great. To be the best time and effort are needed. For our country and our states that means funding for students at all levels. From elementary, middle school, high school, community college, college and graduate work funding should not be taken away, but increased to propel learning and our country forward. 

If we do not do this we will fall behind. Our educational system shapes our leaders of tomorrow and if we do not fund it adequately or let it be affordable for all students we will fall behind. It is in our common civic good that we as a nation protest to our state and national government about the importance of education.