The Cost of America's Education Failures

In this brief clip, NPR does a great job representing the economic costs of a broken education system for their series on America's Dropout Crisis (Editor's Note: The link on the NPR site for the clip I wanted to show displays a different video, so just follow the link and watch the clip at the top of the page. Sorry for the inconvenience). Later reports document the human toll it takes on individuals and its effect on our culture and national well-being. You don't need to look very far to see how Education has the power to transform economies and cultures, and something tells me that the United States does not want to go down as the case-study of what not to do in this essential field.

Are there problems with our education system? Absolutely, and our public school system is painfully outdated and burdened with limitations, creating an inefficient and ineffective system which lacks valuable accountability and competition. Part of this is due to fund cuts, some of it is do to restrictive legislation, and some of it is, yes, do to aggressive and powerful unions. By definition, union representatives are obligated to protect those who fund them, which includes the best and worst teachers. But that is also how our system of adversarial legalism works. Whether someone is on trial for a white collar crime, petty larcen, or child molestation, they are entitled to have a lawyer provide the best case. It is then up to the judge / jury to take both sides into consideration and come to a conclusion. Does that mean that a child molester will be freed because someone is presenting his case? No, but having a voice is an important part of our legal system. We may not like it, but the reason why the man responsible for the Tuscon shootings / Gabby Gifford situation cannot be put to trial is because he cannot assist in his defense and his voice cannot be heard. Many may disagree with that, and I'm not saying that our justice system is perfect, but its the closest thing we've got to an objective power.

Maybe instead of looking at why the bad teachers get represented, we should look at why they are teaching in the first place? How come it seems that only Teach for American can attract the best and brightest young people to get infront of a classroom? Do we need a more rigorous hiring process to weed out the teachers? Do they need better on the job training? How much of the fault on the administration? Do we need to improve metrics? Are we not attracting good teachers because they don't get paid a high salary but are instead compensated in the long term with a pension, or is it a cultural stigma that prevents people from being teachers, and if so how can we change this? How do we make sure that we help our teachers (and in turn our kids) reach their highest potential, and if they are unable to achieve satisfactory standards, fire them?

There are a lot of questions about our system, and I think its time we had some honest debate about an issue that every American cares about. This is an issue that can cut the partisan politics if our elected legislators were willing to frame the issue in a clear way for the American people. Instead of worrying about elections, it would be nice if Washington attempted to restore a little bit of trust after this disastrous self-inflicted debt ceiling debate by making real progress on an essential policy issue. Sure, providing funding for the FAA gave me a little confidence that Washington still had a pulse, but I'm not sold that Washington is reliable and willing to be held accountable for making tough decisions.

And if we can't fix these issues through Washington, its up to local and state municipalities to get involved. However, true change is only going to come if the people demand it. Let your representatives know that you care about our future, and whether its the environment or our education system, you want your voice to be heard.

A Petition to Protect Pell Grants

Mr. President,

Investing in education is not "wasteful government spending" but is a necessary government responsibility. What better way to promote jobs than to invest in human capital and improve the quality of our workforce, a necessary step to keep up with the developing economies of China, India, Brazil, Russia, etc. And this is just not an economic argument, but also a social justice plea, ensuring that all Americans, not just the rich, can afford to go to college without building up nearly insurmountable mountains of debt. Education is not the issue to capitulate on, and for the sake of not only our economic future but also our democracy, please protect Pell Grants.

Sincerely,

The Public's Interest

If education is important to you, consider signing the petition at change.org, and write your own personal letter to our President and your representatives.

Thank you for your time.

Regulation: A Predictable Negotiation

Are you afraid a potential leak in the Keystone Pipeline - which is sending crude oil from Canada down to Texas - could be catastrophic for an already fragile ecosystem?

Enter Keith Stone, the always smooth spokesman for Keystone Light with a flare for drama and a trucker hat. Surely with his, hmm, appeal, regulators will be so flustered that they'll miss this report emphasizing the gross underestimates of the damages of a spill made by the pipers TransCanada.

Never fear, cause rest assured that the Daily Show's report on Canada's oil will have you cowering at even the idea of foreign energy coming from the North.

The Daily Show - Canadian Oilverlords
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Our ideas on certain issues are highly influenced by the sources of our information. Whether its the media creating a narrative of the scary oil lords abroad, or a beer company using the time-tested trick of sex appeal in an effort to stand out from the saturated market (which is a little ironic if you think about how almost all beer is marketed), organizations are creating an image for a product meant to spark interest and creating brand recognition.

Businesses do the same thing when it comes to regulations. While seeking approval, they display their utmost concern for the social and environmental issues which are important to their audiences. They brand themselves as socially responsibility members of the community. While we could be quick to judge them for their clever (albeit misleading)PR strategy, we've all done the same thing as children when we would ask our parents for a new toy. First, we figure out which parent we should asked, and wait for the ideal time. Then we would either inflate our parent's ego with a compliment or show them that we're a good kid by finishing our chores in order to build up trust. When our relationship is peaking, we play our cards and ask for what we want, forcing our parents into a vulnerable position. We tell them all the reasons its a good idea and why we need to do it, and no parent wants to feel like they are denying their child of something they need. The parent must analyze the situation, consider the motivations of the child, determine what's in the best interest of the kid, and make a tough decision that might not be very popular.



When an energy company wants to drill a mile into the ocean, or to build a giant pipeline across America, they do the same thing. They wait for the right setting and pack their lobbyist into Washington with the right assets to give them leverage in their negotiations. They show interest in the environment, display various preventive measures in place to prevent an accidents, and produce a plan in the event of an emergency to limit the fallout. They supplement this good will by engineering evidence-based research to reassure the pragmatists that their methodology in sound and reliable. If the answer is no, campaign contributions dry up and the business may provide a press release that details exactly how denying their project will kill jobs and hurt the local economy.



We expect our government and its officials to act like reasonable parents and go through the necessary steps to protect its people, but in the end it comes down to motivations. Is the individual willing to stand up for the public's interest despite the blackmail of business, or will he fall victim to the temptation of acting upon taking the easy way out and doing what's best for their career? While it is not our government's responsibility to run our businesses, it is their duty to provide a check against abuse and act as representatives of the people and public space. When there is a conflict of interest that corrupts those who hold our corporate entities accountable, the nation suffers.

We need public servants who are more than just conscious drones who offer up fodder for comedians everywhere, but are active and conscientiously working for the good of the people in a system that does not leave them vulnerable to system corruption. Additionally, they need the funds to critically review the data and methodology of these massive projects to avoid another BP-esque situation. If we are are proactive, our government can work with the private sector to find energy solutions that work economically and environmentally, but the future is dismal if we remain reactive and hope to simply adapt, innovate and acclimate our way to survival.



Republican Presidential candidate, Tea Party darling, and Sarah Palin clone Michele Bachmann recommended we repeal the EPA, but closing an agency that fights for environmental justice will not make environmental issues go away. They will be amplified as externalities encroach upon public health and planet Earth's health. Just because an agency cannot do its job given its current resources does not mean we should abolish the agency, but nor does it mean we should just give it more money. We need to protect our regulators and our decision-makers from situations that force them to chose between their duty and themselves.


If this was a game of chess, the EPA would be a pawn. We shouldn't blame the EPA because it is stuck in the system, nor should we just sacrifice the piece. Instead, we need to use that pawn to progress forward until it can reach the other side of the board and be promoted to a queen. To do this, it will require the support of other pieces (media, various environmental / health groups, politicians, etc.) to protect it, but every day we move closer and closer to a future where environmentalism is a part of the culture, not just the dream of a fit within it.

Lupe Calls Obama a Terrorist

Before fully divulging myself in the topic, let me provide some disclosure. I've been a fan of Lupe Fiasco's work dating back to his mixtape days before he released his debut album, "Food and Liquor." He has earned a cult following by artfully manipulating the English language in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and intellectually engaging while communicating pertinent and relatable themes. In other words, I'm a biased fanboy who proudly stood in the front row at one of his concerts rapping all the words to his songs right back at him.

As a Muslim-American poet and a wordsmith, his lyrical midi-clorians are off the scale, and while he's driven towards good, his Machiavellian means may be considered sithly. Concerned less about logistics and political goals and leaning more towards lighting an inspirational fire deep in the hearts of his audience to push them towards personal enlightenment, Lu is a staunch advocate for peace and social engagement. Yet despite his potential power, he encourages self-actualization and avoids explicitly exerting control over his followers.




While in the past he has been much more subtle with his political overtones, Lu elects to go on the record with his single "Words I Never Said." Fed up with the status quo and determined to empower the voices of the silenced, the lyrics combine with stunning visuals in the music video to proclaim an anti-establishment, pro-peace position. Alluding to brainwashing by the popular media, a power-structure that intentionally stifles upward mobility, the American tendency to medicate the symptoms and not the problem, and the use of fear as a means of control, Lupe accurately diagnosis many of the issues that plague our world; he's lost hope in traditional means of change, and sees an uprising from the people as the only way to overcome the systemic corruption. While an underground rebellion against Big Brother may be a great narrative, something tells me that change in America will not follow the Egyptian model. Ultimately, Lupe delivers a call to arms without a clear strategy, objective, or even enemy, which ironically sounds a lot like American Imperialism and the wars he's protesting.

This rebel-with-a-cause-but-no-substantial-cure may indicate that Lu believes that a grassroots solution originating from the ground is the only viable alternative. Thus, his role is that of a motivator, an instigator, and a beacon to rally around. During his appearance on the Colbert Report, he emphasized holding authority accountable and engaging in active analysis of politicians even if you support them. This is an issue that many progressives have been struggling over: is it ok to criticize a Democratic President in hopes of pulling him further to the left, or will the lack of solidarity within the party create a dangerous political fallout that could jeopardizes Barack's re-election?

As a fellow black man from Chicago, the conventional wisdom says that Lupe should be a strong advocate for Obama, and that's partially true. Lu supports campaign-Obama who promised both progressive change and government transparency to allow for active criticism by watchdogs who keep the government honest. However, on the issue of utmost concern to Lupe Fiasco, Obama has failed to bring peace to the Middle East and has continued many of the Bush policies by extending the Patriot Act, failing to close Guantanamo, and keeping troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hence, it is no surprise that a peaceful Muslim who constantly denounces violence and the actions by radicals acting in the name of Islam would speak out against the absence of foreign policy changes for the region.

"In my fight against terrorism, to me, the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America. For me, I’m trying to fight the terrorism that’s actually causing the other forms of terrorism. The root cause of the terrorism is the stuff that you as a government allow to happen and the foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists."

Is Obama the cause of Terrorism? No, but is he the change he promised to be during his '08 campaign? No. He's a constitutional law professor playin' politics by the books and appeasing a multitude of players. Pragmatists rarely lead revolutions, especially not during their first term.

Is Barack patiently piecing together policies for incremental change because he believes that any radical plans would fracture the stability of the nation and create a backlash that would allow Republicans the political power to repeal his legislation? Is he setting the stage for his re-election? Is he doing what's best for the nation, or his family? We've all speculated, and we all have our own theories, but at a time when the political headlines read like the tabloid coverage of Jersey Shore, Lupe reminds us about the costs of war and where our priorities should be.

While I don't believe calling Obama a terrorist is productive or even a true statement, maybe the source will cause some to take a moment and truly consider some of foreign policy choices. If the same statement came from Limbaugh, the left would right it off as racist, or if it came from Karl Rove, liberals would call it political gamesmanship. However, Lupe, an activist whose words have a profound influence of the youth, is an insider's insider and his own power shouldn't be taken for granted, especially since the youth gave Barack his Presidency in 2008.

I support accountability and critical engagement through reasonable means, but it's hard to tell whether he's pulling a Colbert and playing a extreme character or being sincere. He may feel that the only way to captivate and engage this A.D.D. generation is through Orwellian imagery which feels more like Science Fiction than political activism. This might be a ploy to create a symbol and a movement that the youth can believe in and call their own, or it may just be the views of an artist proudly expressing his 1st amendment rights. Either way, while its engaging for some, others will view calling President Obama a terrorist as a repulsive abuse of rhetoric to garner additional media attention.

Just like Obama's intentions, all we can do at this time is speculate and ask questions, but at the very least, we're engaged and building the critical-thinking skills needed to navigate this elusive domain.

Even if I don't agree with everything he stands for, it doesn't mean we can't celebrate our shared interests and discuss our differences. Challenging the conventional wisdom is how we rise above. Let me close with something that speaks for itself: Lupe's Lasers Manifesto.

TO EVERY MAN, WOMAN & CHILD,

WE WANT AN END TO THE GLAMORIZATION OF NEGATIVITY IN THE MEDIA
WE WANT AN END TO STATUS SYMBOLS DICTATING OUR WORTH AS INDIVIDUALS
WE WANT A MEANINGFUL AND UNIVERSAL EDUCATION SYSTEM
WE WANT SUBSTANCE IN THE PLACE OF POPULARITY
WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE WHO WE ARE TO BE ACCEPTED BY THE CROWD
WE WANT THE INVISIBLE WALLS THAT SEPARATE BY WEALTH, RACE & CLASS TO BE TORN DOWN
WE WANT TO THINK OUR OWN THOUGHTS| WE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT
WE WANT CLARITY & TRUTH FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS OR THEY SHOULD MOVE ASIDE
WE WANT LOVE NOT LIES| WE WANT AN END TO ALL WARS FOREIGN & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
WE WANT AN END TO THE PROCESSED CULTURE OF EXPLOITATION, OVER-CONSUMPTION & WASTE
WE WANT KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING & PEACE
WE WILL NOT LOSE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT LOSERS, WE ARE LASERS!
LASERS ARE THE OPPOSITE OF LOSERS
LASERS ARE SHINING BEAMS OF LIGHT THAT BURN THROUGH THE DARKNESS OF IGNORANCE
LASERS SHED LIGHT ON INJUSTICE AND INEQUALITY
LOSERS STAND BY AND LET THINGS HAPPEN
LASERS ACT AND SHAPE THEIR OWN DESTINIES
LASERS FIND MEANING AND DIRECTION IN THE MYSTERIES ALL AROUND THEM
LASERS STAND FOR LOVE AND COMPASSION
LASERS STAND FOR PEACE
LASERS STAND FOR PROGRESSION
LASERS ARE REVOLUTIONARY
LASERS ARE THE FUTURE

Love Always Shines Everytime Remember 2 Smile - LF


"It's so loud inside my head with words that I should have said. As I drown in my regrets, I can't take back the words I never said."

Gingrich's Plight to Appease his Base

Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich hopes that singing sweet nothings into the ears of an angry base will be enough to earn him the GOP nomination.

Washington Post reports:

Gingrich sought to lay blame for the recession, as well as the economic and social upheaval in Detroit, on Obama and his policies. “President Obama is the most successful food stamp president in American history,” Gingrich said. “I would like to be the most successful paycheck president in American history."

First, he's just plain wrong. Income inequality and social support from the lower Socioeconomic class have been issues where Obama has alienated his base.

However, this type of political rhetoric is common during campaign season, especially during the primaries where the candidates (or pseudo-candidates in some cases) run races and take extremists positions in order to grab the nomination. The GOP race will be a fascinating exchange, but it will most likely result in a battle-weary candidate whose soundsbites from the primary will kill an opportunities at winning the independent swing vote.

And ultimately, the primaries have more to do with gossip and slander than popular policies. With Gingrich's tarnished past, he'll be fighting an uphill battle to win the social values vote. However, his publicist and political strategist concocted a brilliant explanation as to why he cheat on his wives: because he loved America too much.

“There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate. And what I can tell you is that when I did things that were wrong, I wasn’t trapped in situation ethics, I was doing things that were wrong, and yet, I was doing them. I found that I felt compelled to seek God’s forgiveness. Not God’s understanding, but God’s forgiveness. I do believe in a forgiving God. And I think most people, deep down in their hearts hope there’s a forgiving God. Somebody once said that when we’re young, we seek justice, but as we get older, we seek mercy. There’s something to that, I think. I feel that I’m now 67 I’m a grandfather. I have two wonderful grandchildren. I have two wonderful daughters and two great sons in law. Callista and I have a great marriage. I think that I’ve learned an immense amount. And I do feel, in that sense, that God has given me, has blessed me with an opportunity as a person. Forget about all this political stuff. As a person, I’ve had the opportunity to have a wonderful life, to find myself now, truly enjoying the depths of my life in ways that I never dreamed it was possible to have a life that was that nice.”

Only time will tell whether his base will forgive his transgressions, and if prodigal son story will pass as sincere and satisfactory for the Bible Belt.