This I didn't know about AMERICA

[Not proud in the USA]

1 - The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004).

2 - The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).

3 - Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. Seventeen percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day (The Week, Jan. 7, 2005).

4 - "The International Adult Literacy Survey...found that Americans with less than nine years of education 'score worse than virtually all of the other countries'" (Jeremy Rifkin's superbly documented book The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream, p.78).

5 - Our workers are so ignorant and lack so many basic skills that American businesses spend $30 billion a year on remedial training (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).

[hadenuff]

Well, what are YOU doing about all this?

[American by birth]

Has nothing to do with politic's or country.Most parents in other countries expect and make sure their children study and and preform at thier best.While American parents spend little or no time with or helping their children with school work.Too many people blame our government for everything.The children are your responsibility.If they fail,you've failed.

[WaTcHeR]

It's the responsibility of the parent? In a way your ignorant on the subject, but that's ok I'm guessing you went to a "government school."

With 2 out of 3 marriages in the U.S. ending in divorce and leaving single family households in the U.S. at approximately 69%, these single parents are left raising children alone. You blame the parents of these kids for working 2 or 3 jobs, just to make ends meet? Yet the parents are the bad guys because they don't have enough time to "educate" their kids. I'm sure if they had the time and resources they would do 100% better than government schools.

I believe it is the government that forces children to go to school? Am I right?

The government provides the curriculum to be taught in "government schools." Don't forget that the Department of Education, which is a part of the federal government and they make up the curriculum.

The Department of Education itself is unconstitutional; "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

The United States as is written here means the federal government, or national government. The Constitution allowed no such power to the federal government as to run a federal department of education. Therefore, it is unconstitutional. Yet I bet you didn't know that did you? You we're never taught that in a government school. It's ok because nor was I.

Only 32 percent of recent high school graduates were qualified to attend a four-year college. In addition, the report showed that the high school graduation rate remains depressingly low at only 70 percent. According to the most recent academic comparison study by the Program for International Student Assessment, of students in 32 developed countries, 14 countries score higher than the U.S. in reading, 13 have better results in science, and 17 score above America in mathematics.

Government schools are big on getting students to read such books as "The Giver" or "Fahrenheit 451."

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry, which gave the details of killing babies and living in a world where no one was special and a person's worth was based on his/her ability to conform to the "group." It's a story filled with disappointment, frustration, and tragedy. Why do 12-13 year old children need to know that the author was raped at the age of eight? This is literary significance? "killing babies."

"Fahrenheit 451," What would happen if our individuality, freedom and world were taken away. What if we were told what to read or what we couldn't print on the "net." It's called conditioning folks! While the government is at it, go ahead and have the kids read parts from the bible that are sexually heated stories. Then tell them to sustain from sex.

Are the kids taught in school that they have a right, a "Constitutional Right," to rebel and go against their government if the government tries to take away their freedom and rights? I think they should be taught that, a lot more politicians I'm sure would stop screwing Americans in the ass, at least without the use of vaseline. There's nothing like a public hanging of politicians to set things straight.

Let's not forget the other lies the government schools brain wash our kids with. An example would be those pamphlets about the evils of marijuana they give to elementary and middle school students. Ever heard of anyone dying of an overdose of Mary Jane? Only in "Reefer Madness", which is a "government pamphlet."

In the year 2000, 85,000 people met alcohol-related deaths, 400,000 a year die because of poor diet and lack of exercise. Tobacco-related deaths total 435,000. 32,000 are killed by doctor prescription medications. 7,600 die from over-the-counter remedies like aspirin and ibuprofen. None die from marijuana. Zero.

Kids figure this stuff out. And when they do, they won't trust what the government has to say, because its all been pack of lies since the get go! Then again there are people that believed Bush, when he said there was weapons of mass destruction. Fooled you didn't he? It's ok you're not the only ignorant person to fall for that. President Bush has lied and killed more people, than there has been deaths related to marijuana usage.

The U.S. government does such a piss poor job at education kids, but it's for a reason folks!

Sorry to say but you just another "product" of the education system, just another brain washed citizen of the U.S. Government. That's what the government wants, they want worker bees. Push a button. Pull a lever. Do as you're told. Go home and try to feed a family after the government has all the taxes stolen from you.

Get just enough 'education' to learn how to be compliant, happy little 21st Century workers who don't ask any questions and keep their noses to the grindstone and watch the FOX network news.

Hell we pay teachers less than what we pay baby-sitters. Schools are known to cheat and pass students to the next grade. Yeah, now you tell me how that's the fault of the parent?

Fund schools fairly! With certain adjustments made for administration, students living in poor urban areas should get the same amount of tax money as those living next door to Congressmen (whose kids go to private schools).

Remember that no one can tell you who you are. If you don't think for yourself, someone else will. An example of other people thinking for you, is your elected officials. Remind them that they have a job of representing the people and not making decisions that they think is right for us. Tell the politician to quit letting "corporate America" tell them how the country should be.

Here are some people that weren't taught at a "Government School:"

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) President of the United States, winner of the 1906 Nobel Prize for world peace - Home Schooling!

Abraham Lincoln -- (1809-1865) United States representative, sixteenth president of the United States- Self Taught

Thomas Jefferson -- (1743-1826) Author and signer of Declaration of Independence, third president of the United States-Home Schooling. - Private school.

George Washington -- (1732-1799) Chairman of the Constitutional Convention, first president of the United States. George Washington, by contrast to Benjamin Franklin, went to one-room "Latin schools," which were tutorial sessions with a single teacher.

Benjamin Franklin -- (1706-1790) Drafter and signer of Declaration of Independence, member Constitutional Convention.

Lets teach our kids like the founding fathers were taught. We need more people like them! Unfortunately the U.S. Government is afraid of persons such as Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, John Lennon, Cindy Sheehan, myself or anyone else who uses freedom of speech as a tool against a government or doesn't believe in the current government policies.

So until the government lets "We the People" dictate on how our kids should be taught, please don't come here again and say the most ignorant thing that pops into your head and say "it's the fault of the parents."

I will agree that it is the fault of the ignorant parent, for not knowing better that their government doesn't give a rats ass about their child. Maybe some of the parents just don't care enough to stand up and say enough is enough and quit screwing with my child and quit stealing money from me and saying that you will use it to educate my children.

[hadenuff]

When my kids were in school, I went to the PTO meetings and got quite an education. If you didn't show up, or didn't have meetings with your child's teacher, you were irresponsible and didn't care. If you went to the meetings and pointed out wrongs in the system or if you met with the teacher and didn't agree 100% with them, you were a meddling parent who should sit down and shut up. I pulled my kids out and home schooled them for a while, then sent them to a church school. For that matter, I'd have let them stay home and play before I'd allow them to be indoctrinated by that system. I just wish they'd never seen the inside of a government school.

[A]

Reagan, Bush, Bush. NOW you got questions?
Diebold, ES&S, Sequoia. NOW you got questions?
The future was yesterday. NOW you get to repeat the past again until you get it right.