Wonderment?

I am still stunned (not really, but...) by the blame game surrounding the Tucson shooting. First, while K had on the boob tube yesterday, there was a commercial that had shooting and explosions and all kinds of violence and then I noted the product being pitched had nothing to do with shooting and explosions and all kinds of violence, at least not directly. I thought, "Hmmm...commercials, the shows themselves, movies. How many acts of extreme violence are on the boob tube and big screen every day/night? That we so callously exhibit these is quite troubling. That we seem to embrace them, as noted by the popularity of such programs, movies, and video games, not to mention some forms of so-called "music," is more troubling. Yet, has there been any great cry, from either side, about the effects of these overt displays of violence? Oh, it's just television or games or...! Well, let's see, if "it's just...," why do companies spend billions of dollars using it/them to influence our thinking and behavior? It must have some impact. But, again, nary a peep. Second, this AM's newspaper had more letters-to-the-editor about "blame." One came from a "health care professional" or so the writer claimed. He blamed the shooting on the right wing rhetoric, "the conservatives." So, this is what passes as a "professional?" What about the facts that the vitriol has also come from the left, the liberals? Saul Alinsky's book isn't a comic book. President Obama was the one who said, "If they bring knives, we'll bring guns." (Gee, talk about a tie to the Tucson shootings...?) And a New Republic regular claims he was the one who started using "crosshairs" on political "targets." Maybe I'm missing something....

And, the evidence continues to pile up that our schools are being run by boobs--not just locally, but all over the nation. Some school in CA prevented a kid from riding his bike to school because he had an American flag attached to it. I can't begin to think why some ding-a-ling would be opposed to this. Well, I can and none of the thoughts are at all flattering. The kid's story came to light, the local and national support for him was overwhelming. More than 100 veterans on their motorcycles accompanied him to school one day--US flags on their bikes, too. No word from the school, except that the ban was lifted. Why is whoever started this still in hi or her position? Of course, I know why.... It's pandemic.

A local newspaper article this weekend documented how state scores on student tests have been inflated to make the schools look better. Anyone paying attention, anyone who has direct contact with recent graduates knows things aren't getting "better." And they won't until some hard facts are faced and difficult decisions are made. This includes getting rid of current leadership (if it can be called that) and many teachers--all over the country. But what is the likelihood of that? I'd bet Las Vegas would set the odds at close to zero.