25 February 2009

Scary Point #1 from Obama's Address: Education

"Encouraged" post-secondary education and "dropping out of high school is no longer an option."

This worries me on several fronts. First, "encouraged" from a socialist means "required." That's mandatory education - not just mandated by the States, but mandated at the Federal level.

That's bad, just on principle.

Additionally, that "no longer an option" point constitutes such an egregious violation of:
  1. The idea that we are free to pursue our happiness, however counterproductive or irrational our thoughts may be, so long as they do not infringe on others' rights.
  2. Parental rights. How far will this "not an option" extend? Will I - or any parent - retain the right to "drop my child out" of public education by educating them at home? Sure, Obama paid lip service to parental rights later, but he didn't reconcile that with his grand vision of mandatory education duration and content.
Just a few thoughts... I'm trying to break this down into a series so that I (and the discussion) can focus on specific topics.

7 comments:

Sarah said...

I don't understand this push to get every single person to go to college. Once everyone goes, it has no value. I find it frustrating.

Not even to mention that they want everyone to go to college *on the taxpayer's dime*!

Happy Thought, Indeed! said...

I agree with Sarah.

Colleges are becoming more of an extension of high school--especially lib-ed colleges which require a certain amount of credits not related to a particular field.

Also, like public schools from K to 12, most state colleges have a liberal agenda.

I think there is a reason that more and more online schools, and trade schools like Stevens-Heneger or the University of Phoenix are popping up all over the place. They seem to be a practical solution to expensive and time-consuming Universities.

Happy Thought, Indeed! said...

OH--and what about Obama's plan to force college students to participate in community service?

Service is great, I believe in it. But forced "service?" And what will count?

When I was in college, I worked my buns off so I could advance in my field, and not bring a huge debt upon myself, or my future spouse. However, even when I was in school, applications only ever asked me to describe my community service.

Happy Thought, Indeed! said...

One last thing--not related to education, but to socialism.

Did you like the guy that they honored for giving away his retirement bonus? Yes, he deserved his standing ovation, it was surely a generous thing to do. But I don't like the implication that Obama plans to make the rest of us do the same.

Unknown said...

Amen, ladies! That's the thing - we have virtually-mandatory HS now, and what good is it doing? Now everyone (more or less) is educated at Level X.

Making a college education required is a GREAT way to make sure it's yet another path to mediocrity.

It's already mostly there, but I don't relish exponentially increasing our expenses to take it ALL THE WAY THERE.

And for the CEO that Jennifer mentioned - YES!!! And it's a bit ironic that while the government didn't make him do that - his conscience did - Obama didn't care to mention that particular angle... but wow, what a time to be glad you're NOT a CEO, right? ;-)

Happy Thought, Indeed! said...

I thought of another argument.

Wasn't the housing crisis we are currently in partly a result of Congress trying to get everyone in a home, whether they could afford it or not? If the government helps every one to go to college, whether they want to/need to or not, I predict there will be a collapse of Universities across the nation when they can't afford to educate everyone forced through their doors. And they'll come crawling (or flying) to D.C. to ask for a hand out.

Unknown said...

Good point, Jennifer - the universities will HAVE to be socialized. Wonder what'll happen to private universities when they (possibly?) still succeed while all the public ones are going down the tubes...