[quote=UCGal][quote=Brutus][quote=zk][quote=Brutus]
Here’s what they can do about it:
Stop watching trash TV. Stop watching MOST TV.
Read a friggin’ book or two. Go to school.
Study.
Stop listening to rap “music.”
Stop believing that all Liberals want to do is help you.
Stop smoking pot.
Stop smoking crack.
Stop getting drunk.
Stop having babies you can’t afford.
Go to school.
Be a nerd.
Get a job, ANY job. Keep it until you can get the job you want.
Work harder.
Work better.
Think.
Read books of all types.
Read some more.
Stop watching TV.
Think.
Stop watching trash TV.
Stop blaming everyone else for your problems.
Stop waiting for the government to help you.
It ain’t 1955 anymore.
If you want to see how a poor person can get ahead, observe how a typical Asian immigrant handles America.
Do what they do.
It works.
We need to teach kids how to use capitalism to achieve their dreams. Schools should have classes in Stock Market Trading, Investing, how to handle Bank Accounts, how to accumulate capital for investing, why capitalism works and HOW it works, in short, schools should teach financial literacy.
Instead, they teach “diversity” and “social responsibility” and “gender issues” and socialist dogma of all kinds. No wonder Johnny can’t spell, read, or do basic math.
That’s what I propose.
Now you can tell me how wrong I am, how we should teach sex ed in school, teach sensitivity to “cultural issues” and “black history” and “environmental awareness” and the “tragedy of European Colonialism and American Imperialism.”[/quote]
I’m not going to tell you how wrong you are. I agree with most of that. The difference between you and me is that you think that millions of poor people are suddenly going to embrace these ideas and goals without any impetus other than what they already have, whereas I think that’s not realistic. I think that they need to be educated to study, stop doing crack, stop being gangbangers, to think, work, work hard, read, go to college, learn about money, not have babies they can’t afford, not blame others for their problems, to do what they can to break the cycle that they’re in. And I think that if you’re really concerned with the future of this country and not with opposing any government program besides the military, you’ll agree.
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I don’t think teaching diversity is socialist dogma. I don’t think it has anything to do with socialism. I think you’re just using that buzzword without really even knowing what it means. That said, I agree that teaching diversity is bullshit. I think America worked better when it was a melting pot, and I think it should still be a melting pot.
I don’t think we should be teaching black history any more than we should be teaching Asian history or Hispanic history. Unless we include the part about how so many blacks got to where they are today. Which is stuck in a cycle of poverty and violence. I think we should teach that so that they know how there, which will help them understand how to get out of there.
Not sure what you mean by “gender issues,” but I’m pretty sure that’s not socialist dogma, either.
Neither is “environmental awareness” socialist dogma. I’m curious why you think we shouldn’t teach environmental awareness.[/quote]
We need to start being judgmental about “lifestyle choices,” such as gangsta life, out-of-wedlock babies, dropping out of high school, obesity, casual drug use, etc.
It’s NOT okay to dress and act like a thug. It’s not okay to have kids when you’re 17 and unmarried. It’s not okay to be fatter than hell. Tattoos usually aren’t cool if you want to get a good job.
When I see someone with a lot of tattoos or piercings, I immediately assume they are either 1. A rock star 2. An MMA fighter. 3. A loser.
Be judgmental. Be more open about it. It’s not “all good.”
And teaching “environmental awareness” to people who can barely read, write, or do basic math, is a waste of time. Teach the basics, first. Then the rest.[/quote]
Wow – I think Brutus is trying to be as judgmental as Brian.
As a fatty, I can take it. But, in defense of fat people, being fat doesn’t make me a drain on society. (Currently don’t have any health issues associated with my weight, thank goodness.)
The rules espoused are pretty mostly the same rules I impose on my kids. But they are minors. Teaching tolerance (as a parent, or in the classroom) is not mutually exclusive with teaching math/science/language arts.
And I’m not sure how well it would fly to tell folks (adults) no tv or rap music in a country that is supposed to be about personal liberties.
But… to each their own.[/quote]
You’re not a fatty. You’re a very attractive woman, and I’m pretty sure Mr. UCGal would agree that he’s lucky to have you as his wife.
And you’re right, the fact that someone is “overweight” does not mean that they are a greater drain on society. Not by a long shot.
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In study after study, overweight and moderately obese patients with certain chronic diseases often live longer and fare better than normal-weight patients with the same ailments. The accumulation of evidence is inspiring some experts to re-examine long-held assumptions about the association between body fat and disease.
