So we made a deal. Our kids have always been required to make at least an 80, in each class they take, to avoid punishment. That's where the bar is set from the time they enter school. The deal was brokered. If he made all A's for the school year we would buy a cell phone for him. If even one B was on his report card the deal was off. He, to my great surprise and pleasure, has taken this deal and ran with it. He has worked very hard and has earned great marks in all his classes. It has already taught him other things. How to study and be prepared, and how to keep up with where he is grade wise, so he doesn't get in a position where he doesn't have enough time to bring a grade up before the grades come out. He is talking with his teachers about his performance and how he can improve. All things that will help him in the future. Now he is even wanting to be the valedictorian of the 8th grade. Of coarse I didn't even know there was such a thing. Then there is the idea that someone needs to "graduate" from kindergarten. What the heck have they accomplished. The skill of finger painting.
The thing that causes me to write is a lame idea the school is tossing around. It seems that there are kids, more likely parents, that feel bad when their friends or classmates earn higher scores than them. Apparently it hurts their feelings. SO the school is proposing to take the all A student's grades, the kids that have any A's, and give them all C's. They then want to give the kids that have D's and failing grades all C's. Sort of average them all out. No one needs to feel bad. Everyone is the same. I am so mad I can spit nails. What the heck are the administrator thinking. Those kids, A's and F's alike, EARNED those grades. Why should the ones who have worked hardest have to take less while those that have worked the least or not at all be given more. Grab the torches and pitchfork, right? Remind you of those games (usually soccer) where they don't keep score?
Well, they aren't really wanting to do that, at least not yet. What I want to illustrate is a point that Hank Williams Jr. made about barack obama and his comments to Joe the Plumber. It makes about as much sense to take the wealth of someone that has worked hard and earned it, and give it to the welfare brood, as it does to take a kids A's and give it to the kids who didn't want to achieve, and earn F's.
One thing that I hate a great deal, is the idea put forth by some, that someone can't "make it" in this country without the help of the Government. This country is not great because of it's Government. It is not the greatest country ever because of diversity. It is the greatest country that has ever existed because of liberty and opportunity. In is conception, the Government was to stay out of the publics life except in very specific instances. The Government was to ensure the availability of opportunity, not this idea that everyone should have the same amount of wealth. It was to provide fairness through the opportunity of success and the possibility of failure.
The limit being discussed, right now, is $250k. At that point you are rich and will have what is rightfully yours taken from you and given to someone else. Someone who more than likely is POOR. You know the ones. Those that get food stamps (here in Texas it is called the Lone Star card) but have manicured nails, and satellite TV. Those that pay no income taxes at all yet get a refundable tax credit (meaning that they paid no income tax at all but are somehow getting a refund of their tax money) but have a cell phone, high speed internet, spinner rims, an LCD flat screen 52" HDTV, and are 5'8" and weigh 350lbs.
Sure it sounds great to those that don't produce. "You mean that they are going to give me more money? Sure I'll vote for you." What happens when the Government programs somehow cost more that "projected"? That ALWAYS happens. Well, the threshold for "rich" suddenly drops to $100k. Crap, a husband and wife raising a couple of kids who both make $50k are suddenly rich. With day care, house payment, a couple of car payments, food and electricity, etc., it ($) goes fast.
El Toro Negro
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