<OT> One more reason I am glad I don't live in CA

[Tim Wunder]

On 3/10/2004 10:35 AM, I believe that R. Quenett wrote:

> mutilated misquotes 
> from Tim Wunder's 10 Mar 2004 classic prose
> may follow:
>  
> " I don't like the idea of government mandated *anything*...especially 
> " concerning education. But I'm fairly radical in that regard, I suppose. 
> " Wouldn't mind seeing the government out of the education business 
> " altogether.
> 
> The sooner the better.
> 
> " Raising children is a job for parents, not governments.
> 
> Ah, but is raising children the purpose of education?

No. Education, however, is, in some fashion, required to raise children. 
And as far as g'ment mandate education, it is striclty mandated for 
children.

> ... Or is the 
> purpose of education the 'production of obedient citizens'?

In today's US school system, yes, it seems to be a major component.

> ...Or does 
> the purpose depend on who is grinding the axe?  Whose axe should be 
> ground and who should have the responsibility of the grinding?  What 
> _is_ 'education', anyway?
> 

Education is the process by which we teach. It is a vital aspect to 
raising children. WRT g'ment-owned schools sytems, it serves as a tool 
politicians use to get themselves re-elected (or elected.) Very little 
regard is given to actually educating, beyond "the 'production of 
obedient citizens.'"

> " That is not to say that two years of public service would be a bad thing 
> " for teenagers, just that it shouldn't be mandated by the g'ment.
> 
> I've heard the 'public' defined as 'everyone but you' and I imagine 
> that 'service' is 'advancing someone else's agenda'.  Sorry, not 
> interested.
> 

"service to others" would've been better, I suppose. Yes, there is a 
certain benefit to serving others, IMO. Again, having the g'ment mandate 
it is *not* appropriate. It does, however, have a great deal of merit.

One of the big problems in the US, and I suppose elsewhere, is the 
tendency to take something that is a good idea in general, something 
that people /should/ do, and decide that it should be law.
It cerainly is a good idea for people to wear seat-belts while driving. 
It doesn't need to be a law, however.
And, no, "service" is not necessarily "advancing someone else's agenda," 
it can be, simply, service. If one serves a cause that is consort with 
ones personal beliefs, one is advancing one's own agenda. If I go to my 
local LUGs Installfest and help others install the latest 2.6.x kernel, 
am I not providing service to others? Am I merely advancing someone 
else's agenda?

> [Psst....  wanna buy a corpse?]
> 

No, why do you ask? Got extra?