Posted by
Resa on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 2:57:15 PM
Congressional scandals, Detention for Parents, Louisville smoking ban, and School voucher logic
1. Congressional scandals – The Harry Reid financial scandal, the Mark
Foley sex scandal, and William Jefferson’s money in the freezer ought
to remind us that power corrupts. With ample evidence all around
us of government incompetence, corruption, and failure, a person would
need to have a devout religious faith in government power in order to
continue putting trust there.
2. Detention for parents – A recent article reported that a
public school in New York is requiring parents to serve detention if
their children repeatedly arrive late to school. Can you imagine
an enterprise that does not have monopoly power treating its customers
that way? “Mr. Jones, the laundry you dropped off here last week
was inside-out, so you’ll have to serve detention!” or
“Mrs. Smith, you did not return your shopping cart to the corral, so
you’ll have to serve detention!”
3. Louisville Smoking Ban – Louisville just eliminated all the
loopholes in its smoking ban except one. Churchill Downs is
exempt. What ever happened to the concept of equal protection
under the law? Obviously, we now have one law for the powerful
and another for everyone else. And if smoking bans don’t harm
businesses, as their proponents claim, then why does Churchill Downs
need an exemption?
4. The logic of school voucher opponents – The opponents of
school vouchers make several arguments. First, they say public
schools are doing a fine job of educating children, so there is no need
for vouchers. Then they say there are no real alternatives to
public schools, so vouchers are just a cruel hoax. Then they say
vouchers would destroy the public schools. I am afraid I can’t
follow their logic.
If public schools are doing a fine job, and if there are no real
alternatives, as the opponents say, then very few people will take
advantage of vouchers. In that case, how could vouchers possibly
harm or destroy the public schools? Obviously, the opponents of
vouchers either are applying faulty logic or they don’t believe what
they are saying. And these are the folks who are educating our
children? No wonder Johnny can’t reason!
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