Wandering

We had a very nice Thanksgiving, enjoying our three days of holiday at Lake Almanor, about 100 miles east of here and 4500 feet higher. There was snow on the ground and on Friday we were treated to an early morning snowfall, delighting one grandchild who had never seen it snow before. I have. Plenty of times. And it’s one of the reasons we live 4500 feet lower. But we made it home safely and without any drama.

We certainly enjoyed having some time to visit with six of our seven grandchildren. They are growing up fast, even the ones that are in their twenties.

Now we’re home and life goes on. And then I watched a video of Sarah Quittypants supporters being interviewed at a book signing in Ohio. No, not a single trick question was asked. And true, we didn’t get to see all of her fans being interviewed. True again, we don’t know how the clip was edited. But, the answers to those ‘not trick’ questions that I did hear were most disturbing. How could these people, who looked so normal, be so dumb? If you saw them in a market or a department store, there wouldn’t be anything about them to let you know that there wasn’t a single clear and concise thought behind their foreheads. Didn’t they go to school? Ah! That’s the answer…I think they did.

My mind flashed back to some overheard conversation with our youngest grandchildren, twins, and they are in the first grade. And they were studying about the Pilgrims. What? Why on earth is that old program being taught? Did someone at school forget to cancel the orders for the Pilgrim study material about 30 years ago? And they just keep reordering? Spain had a colony in Florida in 1565. The Pilgrims landed in 1620. These are well known facts and yet the Pilgrim myth is still taught. And so it goes; into the rest of the elementary school education, myths are taught as facts, year after year. It gets no better in high school and it’s not until the student reaches college or universities that some truths are revealed. And yet some students deny it. They are more comfortable with the old myths.

As I age, I see the lack of education as the single most dangerous threat to our form of democracy. Doesn’t anyone else see it? Oh, I know some educators see it, but those in power, those with the ‘purse’ are not quite willing to give a good education to all. They are quite happy with ‘average’ voters. Average means a C grade and I thought that as a nation we shouldn’t be happy with a C grade. Yet, that is exactly what an average voter is and most politicians depend on us being average.

When it comes to schools we talk a good game but there is no follow through with the funding and the drive to get it done. Facts are, our children spend less and less time in the classroom. Facts are they are not being taught those things that they will need in their future world. They’re stuck in our world because we can’t imagine what theirs will be like. Yet we could do that. All we have to do is put the brakes on over at the department of War and start spending money on students. Imagine demanding that our children be educated. It’s our money, our government and our children. And grandchildren.

Oh yeah...the video