« Omeed Popal and the swallows of spring | Main | Any program that causes the Left to gnash its teeth, rend its shirt and tinkle down its leg »

September 04, 2006

Labor Day Weekend - Random thoughts - Steve Irwin, John Stossel and Murder in LA

Typically, I treat this weekend as a the kickoff for fall. Sure, it was 104 degrees the last couple of days, even as the department store ads show turtleneck sweaters and suede jackets, but the days are getting shorter and the bright greens of summer have dulled as much by season as by heat.

The last couple of days I have eschewed both the 'puter and television as I've been involved in several around the house projects. It was a surprise to log-on this morning to find out this hasn't been the lazy last weekend of summer I always expect. Steve Irwin - Reuters

My step-son was particularly enamored of The Crocodile Hunter and the enthusiasm of Steve Irwin in declaring "look at this beauty" for all manner of weird creatures was a natural for television. Yet, for all the dangerous creatures he handled, it was a freakish accident while snorkling that took Irwin's life.

About three weeks ago, we had a particularly difficult week at my office as we processed a slew of murders, attempted murders, armed robberies and assaults. Statistical cluster? Heat? Full moon? Well, it looks like Los Angeles is having their own problems as Labor Day weekend has (as of Sunday night) brought forth 7 slayings.

The Labor Day weekend got off to a bloody start with seven homicides reported through Sunday night - including a mother killed by her teenage son and two sisters killed by their drunken stepfather at a family get-together. [...]

The LAPD's 77th Street Division covering South Los Angeles saw most of the violence, accounting for six of the deaths since Friday at 5 p.m. when police began tracking Labor Day weekend violence.

Friday night I happened to catch ABC's John Stossel's Stupid in America special report on Publik Skools in the U.S. I wish it surprised me, but it just underlined a particular pet peeve of mine. American children, in k-12, are a "captured class", delivered as commodities to union-dominated, spinelessly administered warehouses where learning is mostly an accident. As Stossel writes here
This should come as no surprise once you remember that public education in the USA is a government monopoly. Don't like your public school? Tough. The school is terrible? Tough. Your taxes fund that school regardless of whether it's good or bad. That's why government monopolies routinely fail their customers. Union-dominated monopolies are even worse.
Vouchers, please now!

My flag is out and the heat is already starting to make itself known. Time for me to go fill the hummingbird feeder and water the patio plants.

Later.

Posted by Darleen at September 4, 2006 07:45 AM

Comments

I'm a teacher. I'm the first to admit that many problems in education today come from poor teachers and bad schools.

However the biggest problems I see in my work comes from parents. There are two main problems.

1) Parents who don't care.

2) Parents who side with their children against teachers.

I see the kids for an hour a day. The parents have them for 16. I can't make them do their homework. I can't make them value education. I can't make them bring their books and work to class. (it is almost unbelievable how hard such a simple thing is) At best I can make them behave in class.

Posted by: gahrie at September 4, 2006 10:20 PM

gahrie

I have nothing but the utmost respect for the good and great teachers who slug it out in the trenches day to day.

But you are betrayed by your unions. And betrayed by the politicos that demand children as pawns while they can afford to send their own kids to private.

Competition would not only improve all schools (bad ones would close) but it would reward good teachers.

It is a soul suck to be paid exactly the same as the slacker fool in the office down from you...

I know...I'm a government worker who is doing two desks and helping on a third.

The ONLY thing that earns me is my own self-respect.

Posted by: Darleen at September 5, 2006 01:20 PM

I have always been a supporter of vouchers. And I don't believe government employees should be allowed to join unions. (ironically enough I am my union's site rep because no one else will do it)

Posted by: gahrie at September 5, 2006 06:13 PM