The Dumbing Down of America

WHAT?

Yep. That's what I said. America is and has been dumbed down.

​Why? To keep you in line, that's why. They can't have you thinking for yourself, or see behind the curtain. What happened to our public schools? They're gone. Replaced by for profit buildings that are called schools but are nothing more than re-indoctrination centers. Charter schools are non-profit but are generally run by for-profit management companies.

There have been many controversies about charter schools being for profit, but the fact is they use many methods to meet their financial needs. They receive the same funds as public schools for per pupil revenue, excluding bond or special taxes for public schools.

Charter schools reduce the available funds for the public education sector. How does that happen? When the public school system loses students to charter schools, the funds for that student go to the charter school. However, the operating costs for that school are still there. The fixed costs stay the same. Building maintenance, staff, utilities and more are still there. The cost per student in the public system increases exponentially.

In high density charter school areas, some municipalities have given up and are closing the schools or tearing them down. Low-income areas are hit the hardest and are suffering the most because they lack the charter school availability. One of the problems is the lack of understanding by parents on what is happening in the education system.

It has become so confusing and divided that many just give up rely on what someone has told them or the advice of someone they know. Do they really know the pitfalls or final costs of their decision? Most do not. Especially those on the lower economic spectrum.

Are charter schools just centers for indoctrination? It depends on what political party you are asking. Today many have become increasingly associated with right-wing politics and Christian conservative advocacy groups. However, there are others that are not. But that goes to the real issue. The public education system was not about politics. Everyone received the same education provided through the education system. And it was considered the best in the world. What happened?

What happened? We allowed the system to be tinkered with. We believed it when someone said it was broken. Broken by whose definition? It started with giving students vouchers because their parents did not want their children sitting next to black students in a racially integrated classroom. So, they fought for and were able to receive public funds for education and move them to private education.

Racism and bigotry are and always has been the reason for almost anything that happens in the United States. Our current president has taken tribalism to another level. He is now attacking universities and telling them what he and his fascist supporters want them to teach and exclude in their curriculum. What do we do?

We better begin electing representatives that do what is best for all Americans and not just the few. It's easy to blame immigrants for all of what we are told the problems are. But. Let's remember America is an immigrant country. There is only one group that is native to this country and we stole it from them so everyone who calls themselves natives are basically full of themselves and other things.

Trumpism is what it represents. Racism, bigotry, blame, hate, populism, nationalism and anything that has a blame narrative for something or somebody.

America has been dumbed down and we allowed it.

That's the fact Jack!

Think about it and be sure to VOTE!

Jack Wilson

Opinion