Negativity in the Holiday Season

It doesn't make me happy when the news of the day makes me mad.  I supported Senator Brownback for Governor and he has turned into my worst nightmare since he was elected.   I think Governments need to have goals for schools, but not mandates.  It may be only anecdotal that the best students are good in art and music but I haven't found anyone that says that no music or art will bring up the poorest students.  No child left behind is a great goal and we should try to fund it but not punish the students that can't get there for whatever reason.  


This past week a student that was on a field trip to Topeka "Tweeted" that she didn't like Governor Brownback and what he stood for.  One of Brownback staffers intercepted the tweet and they demanded an apology from the student.  Somewhere there is a village without their idiot.  The founders of our country made sure that we had free speech so we could have an honest exchange about our leaders.  This type of discussion might lead to a new Governor next time, but unlike many other countries it won't lead to the overthrow of the government because the people can't  be heard.  I don't like the ACLU for the most part, but I will send them money if the student gets suspended or damaged in any way by the school system.  We send our students to school so they can develop many diverse opinions and speak the clearly.  

As I have said many times, I hate Fred Phelps and his Westborough Baptist church's pickets.  Many of you have said there must be a way to stop him.  I absolutely will not even think about taking one iota of his freedom away because I don't agree with his message.  I hate the Occupy Wall Street movement but again, if they want to sleep in the park to get us to listen to their message, it beats the hell out of armed insurrection to get their message across.  It is the very foundation of out country that allows us to stand on the corner and tell people that we don't agree.  I for one want to keep my free speech, freedom of religion, right to bear arms, freedom of the press and the many other things guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.  

The one thing that makes me really sad is that the Newspapers and Major News organizations are losing their markets.  When they start making stuff up and shaping the news so it fits their agendas, they will fail.  If you cannot find truth in the news, you will find you own truth elsewhere.  It distresses me that the bloggers and tweeters are gaining in popularity and are about equal with the papers for their trustworthiness.  If you repeat crap long enough and loud enough people can start to believe.  Barbara said that an instructor told her one time that students need to have a built in crap detector.  I think we all need to tune our antenna to the truth and build up an immunity to the crap.  


I use the word crap because that's what Harry Truman did.  One time a lady said to Bess that she had to get Harry to stop saying crap after the word "Bull".  Bess was quick to point out that it took her the better part of 20 years to get him to use crap.  I call BS on a lot of what is happening today. 


MUD