How We Make Thugs In The US

NYC, Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans, et. al. don’t have a corner on senseless killing. Union Springs, Alabama is one of the few places that we are uncomfortable driving through. In a population of 3,500, it is 85% Black. We don’t fear Blacks, but we always feel something sinister is afoot in this berg. The other day a Black was driving to the Food Mart to get something to eat. He became irritated with another Black who he felt was too slow crossing the street and got out and shot and killed him. He later turned himself in.

Here in flyover country, we don’t have anywhere the level of violence as in the big cities, but it’s not a rare event either.

How have we managed to manufacture so many thugs, folks who have no feelings of being connected to society? People who don’t value life, even their own. People who are content in prisons. I don’t know how for sure, but we seem to be doing a splendid job of it.

In the oil-rich countries, madrasas teach the young to hate. What do we teach in our public schools? Well, we don’t teach Civics, the foundation knowledge required to understand your culture, your country. We do teach ethnic studies courses that promote division. There is an argument that not being connected to anything larger than yourself results in the same path as being consumed with hate. I contend that a century of progressive education has created the thugs and the terrorists in the street. I know it’s not the only reason, single parents families are another reason, but I think our failure to educate youth with basic values is the prime reason.

As parents, teachers, principals, and students struggle to adapt to the pandemic, too many traditional public schools have been far less nimble in serving students than have charters, private and religious schools. Many parents are realizing this won’t change as long as funding is tied to buildings and bureaucracies rather than students.  Americans are realizing that much of this is because the big school decisions are made by teachers' unions. The same folks who bring you the ideas of progressive education that have been percolating in college curriculum for decades.

Teachers unions spend millions annually to defeat charter schools and school choice, trapping so many low-income children in dangerous, corrupt and low-performing schools.

A new University of Arkansas study that looked at the pioneering Milwaukee Parental Choice Program found that students in the program were 53% less likely to commit drug crimes and 86% less likely to commit property crimes than peers in public schools. Private schools can enforce discipline and teach moral values. Fewer thugs.

Concerns about President’s “tone” will allow Biden and Harris to deny school choice. Bet on it.

See how it fits together, public unions, progressive education, thugs.

Me? I was happy with fables like George Washington cutting the Cherry tree. At least, I learned who he was and know that the nation's capital was named for him. Ask the current crop of college students how the capital acquired its name and get the thousand-mile stare.