The Presidential candidates keep saying, “Make college more affordable!” The real education problem is not putting more kids though college. The real problem facing us is keeping the kids in high school. Statistics from long studies show a not-surprising link between high school dropouts and lives of crime, poverty and social liability. Another study shows that kids who experience preschool usually complete high school. Someone has said, “Our future lies in the hands of the 3-year-olds.” Our politicians are trying to climb a flight of stairs starting from the top step.
It is not working. Our prisons are bulging. Drug crime is rampant.
Harley L. Sprague
Gladstone
Correlation does not equal causation. Do you think the dropouts turn to crime because they didn't stay in school?
Maybe they dropped out because of their poor value judgment which leads them to make bad decisions like dropping out of school and committing crime.
Keeping them in school won't necessarily fix their judgment. Helping them improve their judgment might.
Posted by: Sammy | September 06, 2008 at 04:12 PM
Rogue, I see how that came across, but I know they were jailing drug users long before Nancy. Her personal crusade brought it more to the forefront than it had previously been, and turned a lot more law enforcement attention toward bagging drug users. I do remember the 60's. Grew up in the 60's, thank you.
Posted by: Art Chick | September 05, 2008 at 07:55 PM
The socialist democrats NEED and WANT poverty, addiction and broken families. This is the only way for them to keep their failed programs afloat. Who would have tought that our very own US Constitution prohibits debtors prisons, yet that is what the brunt of our prison population is becoming. College is NOT an entitlement and NOT a right. Maybe Obama should focus on the "wind fall profits" of the collegaiate realm.
Posted by: NoMoreMrNiceGuy | September 05, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Nancy Reagan starte the drug policy with her just say no campaign.....What a hoot! OMG Tracee did you ever hear of the sixties!
Posted by: Rogue | September 05, 2008 at 10:57 AM
"...kids who experience preschool usually complete high school." Perhaps. But do kids who do not "experience preschool" usually complete high school too? And, are there factors other than "experiencing preschool" that may account for finishing high school, such as involved parents? The statistic cited, even if it is true, is not persuasive that preschool attendance by itself will influence kids to graduate from high school.
Posted by: Gary | September 05, 2008 at 08:42 AM
Harley, I agree with the preschool part....it should be a foregone conclusion for kids to attend college, and it will be considered just another step, like elementary, middle, and high school.
Prisons are BIG business in this country, particularly for states with few other revenue options. Putting drug users behind bars has been popular since Nancy Reagan's simplistic "just say no" campaign started the mess in the '80s.
If they would concentrate on the real criminals, and reform marijuana laws, the prisons would be noticeably less crowded.
Ah, but that may cut profits for some. Dang it!
Posted by: Art Chick | September 05, 2008 at 07:09 AM