Not a Good Time to be a Teacher

No matter where you stand on the states’ budget crises, one thing is for certain – our educational system seems to be paying the price. I’m not so much talking about teachers having to contribute to their pensions or health care (and we’ll stay away from the sticky subject of collective bargaining and unions!). As a private sector ‘minion’ I’ve seen decreased job security, decreased company matching for retirement contributions, skyrocketing health care insurance costs, and frankly, have been expected to produce more for the same or less money. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for that part of the equation. But where I do feel trepidation is when I hear that at the top of most states’ budget cut list is education. I’m not an economist, and I’m sure there are details regarding educational spending that could use some attention. But when I hear that the average American child is ranked something like 23^rd in the world in science and math, when I interact with young people who scarcely know if cabbage is a fruit or a vegetable (seriously, this just happened to me last week at the grocery check out line–I didn’t ask if he had ever had cabbage juice), I get gravely concerned. If the public educational system is run financially inefficiently, then I think a major restructuring should be in order. But is anyone doing this? Does anyone care? The last generation sold out this one in order to make things easier for today. I pray we are not now continuing the cycle. But I am not very optimistic.

"Everybody's fault but mine."

So it's winter here in the sometimes downright arctic American north, and much to my chagrin I have found myself watching T.V. on a regular basis. Something that the warm days of summer, and crisp autumn evenings had successfully kept me away from.
I am in awe of the number of expertly produced commercials singing the praises of the latest pharmaceutical wonder, and (in a low frenetic tone) expose the dangers and possible side-effects -- many of which outweigh the symptoms of the original problem. Because it is indeed the symptoms that a majority of these drugs treat, not the cause. But in our current "someone else fix me now" society, marketers are only trying to give the people what they want.
Can't blame the commercials. Commercials are made to attract a specific demographic or buying group. Companies spend billions on identifying needs and finding trigger points to tune into those needs.
Fact is, we have become a society of victims. A society that blames everyone else for their problems and looks outside of themselves for solutions.
Have a weight problem? It's McDonald's fault.
Have anger issues? Probably your Mom's fault.
Even with the recent tragedy in Arizona (again, playing out to nauseating depths on the boob tube) the story has become more than a deranged, obviously psychologically unstable person committing a heinous act. It has become someone else's fault.
His parents. His friends. His fellow students in Community College. The media. Sarah Palin.
Really??
What happened to personal accountability? What happened to the notion that there are consequences for individual choices?
A Homer Simpson quote for me says it all: "This is everybody's fault but mine."